BJP workers paste posters on a wall during a protest against Karnataka Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge over the suicide of civil contractor Sachin Panchal, in Bengaluru on December 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: File photo
Stepping up its attack on a contractor’s suicide allegedly due to harassment by RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge’s close aide, the BJP on Thursday alleged that the Minister’s name had been mentioned in the death note. The party also announced its plans to stage a protest in the Minister’s home district of Kalaburagi on January 4.
However, the Minister denied that his name finds a mention in the note.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok maintained that the death note had a mention of the Minister and alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was scared to act against the Minister as he was the son of AICC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge. He alleged that several government employees had resorted to suicide unable to bear the pressure from government authorities.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy displayed copies of the contractor’s death note at a press conference in Bengaluru, stating that the name of Mr. Priyank Kharge was mentioned in it.
Priyank’s denial
However, denying the BJP allegation, Mr. Priyank Kharge said the BJP was attempting to sully the image of the Congress president by spreading canards about the incident.
“The Bidar case cannot be compared with what happened with former RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa where contractor Santhosh Patil had directly named the Minister. Has my name been mentioned in the Bidar case? In Santhosh Patil’s case, he sought help for his family from the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Did the government or the party help his family?” he asked. The Minister said the government stands by the family of the victim, and the government does not want to politicise the death. Whether compensation or any other help needed to the family would be extended, he added.
Diverting attention
Attacking Mr. Narayanswamy, he said, “He is not doing his job of raising important issues that matter to the State. BJP leaders have made it a habit to hurl false allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and me.” Mr. Priyank Kharge said the BJP should first look into the cases of party MLA Munirathna where the chargesheet says he had used derogatory words and casteist slurs. “What action has the BJP taken on Mr. Munirathna?” Mr. Priyank Kharge asked. He said the BJP was dragging on the issue to divert attention from its own faction fights coming under focus.
Published – January 03, 2025 12:11 am IST