Siddaramaiah and Lahar Singh file photos.
Credit: DH Photos - SK Dinesh/B K Janardhan
New Delhi/Hubballi: Senior BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya on Saturday linked the Parliament security breach to 'urban naxals' “being sheltered" by the Congress government in Karnataka, and claimed that it was orchestrated to help Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son in the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Denying Siroya’s charge, Siddaramaiah said that BJP leaders “lack intelligence” and added that there are no plans for his son Dr Yathindra to run for Lok Sabha.
“Urban naxals have had their base in Mysuru (Siddaramaiah’s native),” said Siroya, who is seen as one of the few Karnataka BJP leaders with access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Using government money, the (urban naxals) are spreading their activities to other states. This incident (at Parliament) can be linked to Mysuru,” Siroya said.
According to Siroya, Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra wants to contest Lok Sabha polls from Mysore, currently represented by BJP’s Pratap Simha whose office issued passes to the Parliament trespassers.
“To increase (Yathindra’s) base and defame (Simha), this must have been done as part of a bigger conspiracy. As investigation progresses, the country will know how all this happened because urban naxal ideologies are being sheltered by the Siddaramaiah government,” he claimed.
This is not the first time Siroya has accused the Congress of having links with 'urban naxals'.
“In October 2022, I had written to Rahul Gandhi, warning him about information that urban naxal ideologues are involved in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and how it was a threat to national security as well as his,” Siroya said.
“After the Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the same urban naxal elements were roped in to conduct a survey on the popularity of the guarantee schemes even before they were implemented,” Siroya said. “One agency, which lacked any experience, was given ₹1 crore. This was done to reward them for their support. This shows how the Siddaramaiah government is sheltering urban naxals,” he claimed.
Siroya urged AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi to “be on guard about such ideologies being sheltered by their governments". “It’ll be dangerous for them going forward,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said: “What’s there for Lahar Singh to accuse here? If people want, (Yathindra) will contest. I won’t make him stand for elections. But if people want him to contest, what to do then? I think BJP people lack intelligence.”