Pralhad Joshi irked by Shobha’s remark

Taking exception to Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje’s remarks that the State government had failed in stop atrocities against women, BJP general secretary and Lok Sabha member Pralhad Joshi said she should resign if she is not satisfied with the government’s performance.

He was addressing presspersons on the sidelines of a function here on Friday.

On Ms. Karandlaje’s statement that Mr. Shettar and Home Minister R. Ashok should be held responsible for the government’s inability to curb crimes against women in the State, he said administration was the collective responsibility of the Cabinet and if there were failures, she too was equally responsible for them. “Ms. Karandlaje may have spoken emotionally, but being a part of the government she should not have spoken like this in public. If she is unhappy with the government’s performance, she should raise her concerns at the appropriate forum. Otherwise, she should come out of the government and speak publicly,” Mr. Joshi said, adding that such behaviour was “totally unwanted and not in the spirit of democracy”.

Mr. Joshi said the BJP would not adopt double standards as far as taking action against party men facing charges of corruption was concerned.

Irrespective of their position in the party and government, the yardstick to treat those charged with corruption and misappropriation will be the same, he said.

The difference

When asked why Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa was not being asked to resign while the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was made to step down, Mr. Joshi said in the case of Mr. Yeddyurappa, a constitutional agency had framed corruption charges against him while in Mr. Eshwarappa’s case, there were only allegations.