From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 7: A day ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the fate of 15 out of the 17 disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who were responsible for the fall of the H D Kumaraswamy regime and installation of B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka, the opposition Congress party is taking to streets with a protest programme on November 11 and also demanding the dismissal of Yediyurappa regime as well as sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Congress Opposition leader in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, who addressed reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, expressed confidence that the apex court will uphold the disqualification of the MLAs, who were responsible for the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.
Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao - File photo
Siddaramaiah said the Congress party will submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding dismissal of State BJP government and sacking of Home Minister Amit Shah from the Union Government over their role in the entire resignation drama of the 17 MLAs as admitted by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa at a closed door meeting of the BJP leaders in Hubballi recently.
The former Chief Minister said Yediyurappa’s speech at the BJP core committee meeting with State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel and senior state leaders in the video clip clearly establishes that he and BJP central leadership have masterminded and engineered the resignation and defection of 17 MLAs.
The video clip would be given to the President of India, he said.
In fact, President Dinesh Gundu Rao had even submitted a copy and transcript of the video tape to the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which had promised to look into it even while refusing to pass any orders on it.
The BJP Government, which came to power through back-door has clearly violated the 10th Scheduled of the Constitution, Siddaramaiah said.
He further maintained that Yediyurappa had confessed that he had committed crime by convincing the disqualified MLAs to resign by satisfying their demands and allurement of power by offering cabinet berths, the Congress leader said.
Congress protest against economic downturn on November 11
KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the party would hold a protest on Monday, November 11, opposing the Centre’s economic policies and bleak scenario in employment sector.
The district presidents of the party too had been directed to stage protest on the same day, he said.
Rao said the Supreme Court is expected to pronounce its verdict on Friday on the petition of disqualification of 17 legislators and it would be favourable.
The KPCC Chief said the State unit of the Congress will devise its own strategy to ensure that the party bags maximum number seats in the ensuing by-election for 15 out of the 17 constituencies represented by the disqualified MLAs and thereby bring down the “illegal and illegitimate’’ government headed by Yediyurappa.
The Congress party has already announced names for 8 out of the 15 seats and selection of candidates would be announced for seven more constituencies after the verdict, he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who is out on bail in the disproportionate assets case, has taken up a visit of temples in Kanakapura and Mysuru districts.
While Chief Minister Yediyurappa has been busy in visiting the constituencies facing by-elections, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has embarked on a tour to campaign for the party.