Making it clear that the Congress government was committed to implementing the party’s pre-poll guarantees, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana has questioned Mysuru MP Pratap Simha’s contribution to Mysuru and the status of his assurances to the people.
Reacting to Mr. Simha’s demand for implementation of the guarantee schemes announced by the Congress during its election campaign, Mr. Lakshmana told a press conference in Mysuru on Monday that he and Congress leaders of Mysuru will visit the MP’s office on June 1 to seek a status of the assurances he had made to the people.
He listed out the “promises” made by Mr. Simha since he was elected as an MP in 2014 and questioned the status of the expansion project of Mysuru airport, the railway line between Mysuru and Kushalnagar, ₹800 crore satellite terminal project at Naganahalli, logistics park at Kadakola, etc.
Among other things, Mr. Lakshmana also sought to know the status of the ₹22,900 crore-semiconductor chip manufacturing plant near Mysuru and claimed that the project has been clandestinely shifted to Maharashtra. He also sought to know the status of the 102 km-long peripheral ring road, the textile park at Belavadi and the two villages he had adopted in Hunsur taluk.
“I will come to your office along with the Congress leaders and workers on June 1. Please reply to these questions,” Mr. Lakshmana said.
‘Open rowdy sheet against Addanda Cariappa’
Mr. Lakshmana has also urged the City police to open a rowdy sheet against former Rangayana Director Addanda Cariappa if he creates fresh trouble.
He said a complaint had already been lodged against Mr. Cariappa in a city police station and sought the registration of FIR against him. “We will bring pressure on the police to open a rowdy sheet against him if he creates fresh trouble,” Mr. Lakshmana said.
Mr. Lakshmana threatened to stage a dharna in front of the office of Inspector General of Police if former Minister Ashwath Narayan, who has been booked for issuing provocative statements against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is not arrested.
Though a FIR had been registered against him in Devaraja police station in Mysuru and the case has been transferred to jurisdictional Mandya Rural Police station, no arrest has been made yet, he lamented.
Mr. Lakshmana said he will shortly meet the Inspector General of Police and urge him to direct the police to arrest Mr. Ashwath Narayan. “If he is not arrested, a dharna will be staged outside the office of the IGP,” he said wondering if the police was waiting for the former Minister to obtain anticipatory bail.
