Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: A day after Congress ministers raked up the Lottegollahalli denotification case, Opposition leader R Ashoka on Thursday set a 24-hour deadline and offered to step down in exchange for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation or ministers (who have spoken against him) should resign to prove their unbridled loyalty towards Chief minister Siddaramaiah.
He also refuted allegations made by Congress against him in the Lottegollahalli denotification case by flashing documents and newspaper cuttings related to the case.
Speaking to reporters here, Ashoka asserted that he was absolved by both the high court and special court for elected representatives and even after this, the then governor H R Bhardwaj didn’t pursue the case further. But in the case of Siddaramaiah, neither the high court nor the special court has given a clean chit. Hence, it becomes pertinent for him to resign in this case, he argued.
“Barring PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, all three ministers - Krishna Byre Gowda, Dr G Parameshwara and H K Patil - have spoken at length about this case and have demanded my resignation. I am ready to resign or do as they have suggested but will they be able to secure the resignation of the chief minister or will they tender their resignation to prove their unbridled loyalty towards the chief minister” he questioned.
Mocking Gowda, Ashoka highlighted that he had claimed twice in the past on the floor of the House that he was a relative and had sought resignation.
“Will he prove his loyalty towards the CM by resigning or will he be joining hands with DCM (D K Shivakumar)?” he said.
Training his guns on the Congress party, Ashoka wondered how long the ruling party would pursue the politics of vendetta against the opposition party and its leaders.
“As the Opposition party, we are doing our job by highlighting their failures. But the Congress and its leaders continue to target the Opposition leaders by raking up old cases and this time, they have raked up an already closed case,” he claimed.
“After the high court absolved me, why did the Congress not pursue the case using the Raj Bhavan? It did not pursue this case after coming to power in 2013-18. All of a sudden, they are raking up this case to threaten the Opposition. But it will not happen as the BJP and leaders are committed to seeking the CM’s resignation,” he said.