Pralhad Joshi Calls for Inquiry into Siddaramaiah's Phone Tapping Allegations
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Hubballi, March 4 (NationPress) Highlighting the serious allegations of phone tapping by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah aimed at monitoring Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi demanded an explanation for the covert information gathering and urged the government to reveal the motives behind the alleged spying.
Labeling the phone tapping claims as grave, Joshi called for a thorough investigation into the situation.
He recalled that during H.D. Kumaraswamy's tenure as Chief Minister, similar accusations had emerged, questioning why those involved in the coalition government then stayed silent after assuming power.
The Congress party had previously formed a coalition with JD (S) during that time, with Kumaraswamy in the Chief Minister's position.
Joshi also criticized the Congress government for neglecting to investigate prior allegations, challenging the accountability of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during that period.
In response to Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar's assertion that he and CM Siddaramaiah maintained a harmonious relationship “like milk and honey,” Joshi dismissed the comment as ridiculous, suggesting their relationship resembled more of “alcohol and lemon” than milk and honey.
Addressing the matter of the Almatti dam height increase, he stated that if Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar made a trip to Delhi for discussions, efforts would be made to find a resolution.
Joshi affirmed that necessary support would be provided for the benefit of Karnataka. However, he accused the Congress of failing to honor its earlier commitment to allocate Rs 10,000 crore annually for the development of the Almatti reservoir.
Moreover, Joshi criticized Congress for its stance against dynastic politics, pointing out that three members of the Gandhi family currently serve as Members of Parliament and questioned whether that did not exemplify dynastic tendencies within the party.