From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 15: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, D K Shivakumar has demanded that the guilty in the alleged Ram Mandir land scam in Ayodhya must be punished.
Speaking during the protest meetings organized by the state Congress against the sharp increase in prices of petrol and diesel all over the country in Mandya district at different places, the KPCC chief said the alleged land scam involving crores of rupees was an insult to the faithful in the entire country.
He demanded an impartial inquiry monitored by the Supreme Court to unravel the truth as neither the Narendra Modi government at the centre or the Yogi Adityanath regime in Uttar Pradesh can be completely trusted.
Shivakumar said ordinary people have contributed their hard-earned savings as a contribution to the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and even donated cash and bricks.
Corruption in the construction of the Ram Mandir is an insult to the entire country and its people, their faith and beliefs. Contributions were collected from villages and the alleged land scam is a fraud on the people, he said.
The KPCC chief said petrol prices have exceeded the Rs 100 mark in different parts of the state and in several states with the governments collecting Rs 65 as taxes while the actual cost is barely Rs 35. The Congress party’s protest '100 not out' has received widespread public support while in some places those who fill petrol are being offered Rs 50 reward while in other places sweets are distributed.
When the prices of petrol were Rs 52 per litre, the present chief minister B S Yediyurappa and rural development minister K S Eshwarappa and other BJP leaders rode bicycles as protest while BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje carried LPG cylinder on her head, he said and wondered what the BJP leaders are doing now.
"I have come to Mandya, the district where chief minister Yediyurappa was born as part of the party’s final day of the 5-day protest. Prices of all essential commodities have gone up. Even steel, cement and fertilizer prices have shot up. But the income of the people has not increased. Both the state and central governments are indulging in pick-pocketing,’’ he said and urged both the state and centre to reduce the prices and give reliefs to the people.
He said the petrol prices were increased 17 times this month while 51 times this year so far. During March and April, there was no increase in the petrol prices because of assembly polls in five states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Shivakumar refused to discuss the infighting and the campaign for Yediyurappa’s ouster. Change of leadership is an internal matter of BJP but as long as they are in power, let them govern and solve the problems of the people, he said.