H D Kumaraswamy dares Congress: Stay in power for 10 more months

Bengaluru: With the Congress accusing the Modi government of trying to destabilise the Siddaramaiah dispensation, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday dared the Congress to remain in power in the state for the next 10 months.

Kumaraswamy's fresh salvo came as his party, the JD(S), along with the BJP launched a padayatra to Mysuru to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged MUDA and ST Development Corporation scams. 

"The arrogant Congress says it'll remain in power for 10 years. That's what the deputy chief minister (DK Shivakumar) has said. Forget 10 years. Let them remain in power for 10 months. We'll see," Kumaraswamy said. "There are many in Congress waiting in queue for their turn," he added.

Kumaraswamy again accused Shivakumar of leaking the documents relating to the alleged MUDA scam while pretending to support Siddaramaiah. "Wasn't it you (Shivakumar) who leaked documents to dethrone Siddaramaiah? Now, you're claiming to have Siddaramaiah's back. Why this drama?" he said, addressing Shivakumar as "CD Shivu".

BJP and JD(S) workers are "enthused to throw out this Congress government", Kumaraswamy said.

“I am surprised by the audacity of Congress questioning the Opposition's integrity while their own ministers and CM are indulging in scandals one after the other,” he said.

Kumaraswamy said that the Opposition parties had been exposing the ruling Congress party’s scams and cited the alleged cash-for-transfer scam and the embezzlement of money in the Valmiki Corporation as a case in point. “Therefore, both Opposition parties have come together to expose the Congress further by taking out this padayatra,” he said.

BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa had a suggestion for Siddaramaiah: "Don't give silly excuses. Resign respectfully." 

The week-long foot march has the power to "remove" the Congress government, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said. 

'None can cause rift'

Kumaraswamy vowed that nobody can cause a rift between the BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka. The two-time chief minister said Congress would have hit rock bottom in the state if the BJP-JD(S) coalition did not fall apart in 2006-07. 

The arrogant Congress says it'll remain in power for 10 years. That's what the deputy chief minister (DK Shivakumar) has said. Forget 10 years. Let them remain in power for 10 months. We'll see, said H D Kumaraswamy.