Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 10: Former chief minister, Jagadish Shettar, said here on Thursday November 9 that Tipu Jayanti celebration has been conceived by chief minister, Siddaramaiah, as a measure of vote bank politics.

"We had held protest against this celebration in the past too. It may be recalled that during the celebrations, a member of Hindu outfit, Kuttappa, had lost his life at Madikeri. The state government will be entirely responsible if law and order situation vitiates during the celebrations this year. Tipu Jayanti should never be celebrated, and no one asked the government to celebrate it. Siddaramaiah took up this gimmick to appease certain sections," he said.

On the issue of case against Kerala MP and in-charge of Karnataka Congress affairs, K C Venugopal, Shettar noted that Justice G Shivaranjan commission has handed over report to Kerala government on solar scam and rape charge, and an action taken report was tabled in the assembly of that state recently. "The report has found that the charge of rape levelled against Venugopal has been proved. The woman received many threat calls. This lays bare the character of the person who has been made in-charge of state Congress affairs. I advice women from the state to be careful of Venugopal," he stated.

Adverting to the claim made by the chief minister that income tax officials during their raid, had asked D K Shivakumar to join BJP, Shettar felt that this is the hight of stupidity on the part of Siddaramaiah. "He has shown where he stands, by making this false claim, primary motive of which is to divert the attention of the people. We could have understood if such fake claims were made by some petty political leader. With this, Siddaramaiah has proved again that he is a liar par excellence," Shettar commented.