We talk corruption, BJP talks caste, says Eshwar Khandre

Highlights

• The PayCM campaign by Congress is not against any particular caste, creed or individual, it is a ‘Clean-up Karnataka’ campaign against corruption, said Congress Working President Eshwar Khandre.

• Addressing a press conference in Bidar city, Khandre said corruption is rampant in all sectors of the state, from the panchayat to the ministerial level. It has hurt poor people, farmers, middle classes and the common man. To dub this fight against corruption “anti-Lingayat” is condemnable. The campaign is for a better Karnataka and not against any caste or community, Khandre said.

• Elaborating, he said the Contractors’ Association has alleged that there is a mandatory 40 per cent commission that contractors have to pay to get their work bills passed. Talented, educated and deserving people are not getting jobs, whether it is PSI recruitment, KPTCL or teachers recruitment, or and transfers of government posts, there is corruption in all sectors, he added.

• “As soon as the PayCM campaign was launched, it was portrayed as Lingayats being insulted. It was raised to divert attention from the issue of corruption, there is a need to ask how much the BJP government has insulted and neglected Veerashaiva Lingayats,” he added. “Dingaleshwar Swami of Balehosur Mutt had claimed that he was asked for a 30 per cent bribe to release money sanctioned to the Mutt. Is this not insult to the Lingayat community?”

• Santosh Patil, the contractor who accused former minister K S Eshwarappa of corruption and ended his life, was a Lingayat, said Khandre. Eshwarappa has been given a clean chit, and this is an injustice to the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community and Patil’s family. He claimed that the Congress has always been protecting the interests of Lingayat-Veerashaivas and all other communities.

IT, ED, CBI misused 
Questioning the Income Tax and ED raids against opposition leaders, Khandre asked whether all BJP leaders are clean, and whether politicians accused of corruption suddenly become pure on joining the BJP.  “Agencies give reports and clean chits according to the whims and fancies of the government. Let BJP first provide a transparent administration instead of misusing official machinery for targeting opposition leaders and protecting the corrupt,” he said.