New Delhi: Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday alleged that Congress high command was backing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah because the party senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi themselves are on bail in National Herald case.
"When such a big issue happened in Karnataka, top Congress leaders maintained silence. That is because Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in the National Herald case," Kumaraswamy told reporters here.
“When Rahul Gandhi publicly said that he will not tolerate corruption, why is he silent despite the Court upholding the sanction against Siddaramaiah. The entire country is watching the conduct of the Congress in this incident,” Kumaraswamy said.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah's demand that Kumaraswamy must resign to the Union Minister post since he was under bail, the Union Minister said that, "I was on bail in frivolous cases filed against me. However, the CM is facing severe charges. Siddaramaiah should think whether he has the moral right to continue now."
When Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accorded sanction to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in MUDA site allotment, Congress workers burnt the effigy of the Governor. Since the High Court upheld the judgement, now whom effigy they should burn now ? Siddaramaiah should answer this, Kumarasway said.
Dismissing the allegations that he was also facing charges of illegalities when he was the Chief Minister, the Union Minister said that the cases filed against him were politically motivated.
"Unlike the MUDA scam, I never took the government properties by dubious means," he said.