Karnataka CM denies criminal charges, calls HDK liar

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and home minister G Parameshwara held a joint press meet at KPCC office at around 12.30 p.m. today. Other leaders such as H Anjaneya, Dinesh Gundoo Rao, Sudarshan, A Manju, were also present. Here are a few points of the press meet:

Here are the salient points of what CM Siddaramaiah said:

• HD Kumara Swamy is a liar. Kumara Swamy alleges that there are 10 cases against me. But I have been relieved from all those cases. Let him verify the records and documents from concerned authorities.
• Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar and others don’t have moral grounds to question us, because all these leaders are charged in criminal cases. Yeddyurappa is facing around 29 criminal cases. Around 18 MLAs are currently facing criminal cases.
• I say regretfully that according to a survey made by National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) between 2003 and 2013 around 123 police have committed suicide. In its five-year tenure, the BJP did not hand over a single case to CBI. But we have given 13 cases to CBI.
• HD Kumara Swamy and Jagadish Shettar have forgotten that how many policemen have committed suicide during their terms. They are misleading the public by projecting that this suicide episode has started during the Congress government’s rule.
• In 2007, During HD Kumara Swamy’s rule, around 24 policemen committed suicide. 
• In 2012, During Jagadish Shettar’s period around 17 policemen committed suicide.
• Even Kumara Swamy and his brothers are facing criminal cases. Their wives are also charged with criminal cases.
• We respect the judiciary. During their tenure they called the CBI names such as ‘Congress Bureau of Investigation’ and ‘Chor Bachao Institution’. But we do not disrespect the CBI nor do we fear a CBI probe.
• Rohit Vemula took the name of Bandaru Dattatreya, the central labour minister, in his death declaration. An FIR was filed against Bandaru Dattatreya under Section 306. Have these BJP leaders who are asking for our resignation, ever dared to ask his resignation?
• There are 13 ministers in the Centre including Smriti Irani and Uma Bharati who are charged with FIRs. About seven ministers are facing criminal cases. The BJP should not play politics on the corpses of cops.
• We have never asked the IPS officers Pranab Mohanti and AM Prasad to go on a long leave. It is a creation of the media.
• Now the vacant department of KJ George is with me, I will not hand it over to anyone soon.
• Now Praveen Khandya is absconding, Kallappa Handibagh committed suicide due to the conspiracy of BJP

Home minister G Parameshwara added to this and said:

• We have considered MK Ganapathy’s suicide case seriously.
• Our only intention is to find the truth behind these deaths and to punish the culprits. But opposition leaders are trying to distort the whole incident and are misleading the public.
• KJ George has voluntarily submitted his resignation soon after the decree of Madikeri JMFC in order to make the investigation easy and unbiased. The BJP is trying to politicise the case for its vested interests.
• We have asked for a judicial enquiry on the MK Ganapathy suicide case and handed over the suicide case of Kallappa Handibagh to the CID.

Read more: Is CM Siddaramaiah in denial of his 'criminal' past?

• Karnataka
• CM Siddaramaiah
• karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
• g parameshwara
• DySP MK Ganapathy suicide
• Kumaraswamy