With several senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, summoned by a city magistrate to appear before the court in a case related to violation of pandemic-related rules during a rally earlier this year, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar lashed out at the Basavaraj Bommai government for indulging in “vindictive” politics.
Speaking to reporters here after the party’s candidates filed nomination papers to contest Legislative Council elections here, Mr. Shivakumar said BJP leaders violated COVID-19 norms several times by participating in rallies and functions. But the police had not registered any cases against ruling party leaders, he said. “The BJP government is involved in vindictive politics...we will fight in courts,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
A case was filed against several State Congress leaders by the Ramanagaram Rural police this year after they undertook a padayatra demanding construction of a reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu. The leaders were charged under several sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act for taking out the padayatra violating restrictions in place during the pandemic. The government had imposed restrictions at the time amid fears of the third wave of outbreak of the pandemic.
Speaking on Mr. Bommai’s trip to Davos, he said while the former was busy meeting businessmen for attracting investment to the State, Sangh Parivar outfits had been disturbing communal harmony. A couple of entrepreneurs and former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna had also raised the issues that had been impacting “Brand Bengaluru” owing to faulty policies of the government, the KPCC chief said.
Noting a plenty of opportunities for investment in business in coastal parts of the State, the Congress leader said the government has to take steps to create a conducive environment for attracting investment to various regions of the State.
