K’taka BJP leaders conduct poster drive against Priyank Kharge, detained
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police detained BJP leaders on Tuesday in Bengaluru for carrying out a poster drive against state Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge in connection with the contractor suicide case.
A group of BJP leaders began pasting posters bearing the picture of Minister Priyank Kharge. The posters claimed that the minister was responsible for the death of the contractor.
Some posters criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government, accusing it of being responsible for a series of suicides and “orchestrated” deaths.
The posters specifically alleged that Kharge was responsible for the death of contractor Sachin Panchal, former minister B. Nagendra for the death of government officer Chandrasekaran, Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar for the death of government employee Rudranna Hedavannanavar, and Congress MLA Chennareddy for the death of PSI Parushurama Nayaka.
The BJP leaders also questioned why Kharge’s resignation was not being sought, when, in similar cases, former minister K. S. Eshwarappa from the previous BJP government, Minister K. J. George from the last Congress government, and former minister B. Nagendra in the current government had faced calls to resign.
As BJP leaders pasted posters, raised slogans against Kharge and referred to the Congress government as “murderous”, police arrived at the scene, seized the posters, and detained the BJP leaders.
Senior BJP leader and former MLC C. N. Ashwath Narayan strongly criticised the police action. The detained BJP leaders were transported to a distant location without being allowed to speak to the media.
The Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP MLC C. T. Ravi, and other senior leaders were present during the protest.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the deceased contractor, Sachin, left a seven-page suicide note mentioning Kharge.
According to the note, Raju Kapanur, an aide to the minister, had claimed to be acting under Kharge’s instructions.
The note alleged that Raju Kapanur had demanded a 5 per cent commission, amounting to Rs 80 lakh, for facilitating a tender worth Rs 15 crore, of which Rs 10 lakh had already been paid as an advance. Sachin also claimed to have met Kharge five or six times in Bengaluru, as directed by Kapanur.
Sachin, a 26-year-old contractor committed suicide in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district. He alleged in his suicide note that threats and extortion by Raju Kapanur, an aide to Kharge, had driven him to take the extreme step. The note further alleged that Kapanur’s actions were carried out under Kharge’s instructions.
However, Kharge declared on Monday that he would not resign.
The Karnataka BJP has demanded that the contractor’s suicide case, allegedly involving the minister’s aide, be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They threatened to launch a protest on January 4 if their demand was not met.
On Monday, the Karnataka government handed over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
