The Karnataka Congress has decided to intensify agitation against the ruling BJP government in connection with the suicide case of a contractor and BJP worker, Santhosh K. Patil.
The delegation of top Congress leaders, including party General Secretary and state in-charge Randeep Surjewala, is meeting Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Wednesday demanding the termination of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa.
The delegation will also demand to lodge corruption and murder charges against Minister Eshwarappa and further stress his immediate arrest. Along with Surjewala, state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Opposition leader in Legislative Council B.K. Hariprasad, Campaign Committee Chairman M.B. Patil, and others would meet the Governor and submit a memorandum in this regard.
Santhosh K. Patil, a contractor from Belagavi had stated in his message to the mediapersons that “he was committing suicide as Minister Eshwarappa was not releasing funds for Rs 4 core worth projects that he had executed. He also said that he was being asked to give 40 percent cuts to him.” Patil’s body was recovered from Udupi lodge later on Tuesday.
The Congress since Tuesday launched protests against the government demanding the sacking of Minister Eshwarappa. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had lodged a police complaint against him in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the BJP high command has sought a report from its state unit in connection with the suicide case.
The development has proved to be a setback for the ruling BJP which has been riding high on the Hindutva agenda in the state for quite some time. Congress party, which was neutral on a series of issues of communal polarization and was on a fix, has come out aggressively on the issue. The deceased Santhosh had earlier written letters to the top central BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 40 percent commission demand by Minister Eshwarappa.
Sources in Congress said that the party has decided to raise the issue all across the state and at the national level. They also said the party would question Prime Minister Modi, who charged the erstwhile government of Siddaramaiah as a ’10 percent commission government’.
