Hyderabad: Dr. Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, BJP’s Tamil Nadu and Karnataka co-incharge, has called for the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddha Ramaiah. He stated that the Chief Minister should step down on moral grounds due to a series of corruption scandals involving his government. Dr. Reddy pointed out a recent Karnataka High Court ruling that cleared the way for the prosecution of Siddha Ramaiah in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, which he claimed should lead to the Chief Minister’s immediate resignation.
Dr. Reddy highlighted the MUDA scam, where about 14 plots were allegedly given to the Chief Minister’s family in an improper manner. He claimed this amounted to a scam totaling Rs 5,000 crore. In addition, he mentioned that Rs 187 crore, which had been allocated for the Maharshi Valmiki Corporation to support Scheduled Tribes, was diverted. He also alleged that Rs 90 crore from this fund was shifted to Hyderabad before the Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore, Dr. Reddy accused the state government of misusing central funds meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes.
He explained that individuals and NGOs had approached the Governor seeking permission to prosecute the Chief Minister, and after following due legal procedures, the Governor granted this permission. When Siddha Ramaiah challenged the Governor’s decision in the Karnataka High Court, the court upheld the Governor’s orders, allowing the prosecution to proceed. Dr. Reddy acknowledged that Siddha Ramaiah has the right to appeal the High Court’s decision, but emphasized that public protests and demands from opposition groups indicate that the Chief Minister should step down on moral grounds.
In response to the situation, the BJP, led by Karnataka state president B.S. Yediyurappa, has launched a “Chalo Mysore” campaign, pushing for the Chief Minister’s resignation. Dr. Reddy argued that Siddha Ramaiah should respect the people’s wishes and uphold constitutional values by resigning. He also criticized the Congress party for failing to deliver on its promises in Karnataka, and suggested that a similar pattern is emerging in Telangana, where Congress has made six guarantees.
Dr. Reddy then shifted his focus to Telangana, where he alleged a Rs 1,100 crore scam in civil supplies. According to him, the tender process was manipulated to benefit certain individuals. Union Ministers Bandi Sanjay Kumar and BJP Legislative Party leader Maheshwar Reddy have raised concerns regarding this issue, and the Telangana BJP is highlighting these allegations under the leadership of State President and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy.
Finally, Dr. Reddy questioned Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s silence on accusations of irregularities in the Amrit Scheme and demanded a response. He also criticized the Congress government for not covering all eligible farmers under its farm loan waiver scheme and for failing to provide clarity on the Rythu Bharosa scheme. He noted that some farmers in Khammam district are still struggling with agricultural debt, and the state government has not followed through on its promise to provide an unemployment allowance of Rs 4,000 per month.
