The Hindu : Karnataka News : Lack of principles led to the fall of coalition Government: Congress

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Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Lack of principles led to the fall of coalition Government: Congress

Staff Correspondent

When JD(S) betrayed Dharam Singh, the BJP enjoyed every moment of it: Sabhapathi

He says
The seeds of destruction were sown at the time of coalition’s birth itself
They ignored ideologies as power was the only driving force for the alliance

Udupi: Congress leader and former MLA U.R. Sabhapathi said on Tuesday that there was no meaning in the statements of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders that the Janata Dal (Secular) had betrayed them on the power transfer issue. When the Janata Dal (S) betrayed the then Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, the BJP enjoyed every moment of it, but now it had met with the same fate, he said.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Sabhapathi said that the seeds of destruction of the Karnataka Development Front (KDF) Government were sown at its birth. Both the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) gave a go-by to their core ideology. That both these parties reflected opposite ideologies was brushed inside the carpet as power was the only driving force behind their “opportunistic alliance,” he said.

Both the parties had said that they had come together to facilitate the development of the State and the results were now there for all to see, he said.

The lack of principles was visible till the very end as the BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa dashed to Bangalore on Monday leaving his “Dharma Yatre” behind just to pursue his personal ambition of becoming the Chief Minister, he said. That he was reined in by the national leadership of the BJP was a different matter.

After all this, the BJP was putting on the pretence of an injured person. As if all this was not enough, the BJP was blaming the Congress of influencing the Governor, who had to take a decision according to the Constitution. “Lack of principles is responsible for the tragic demise of the KDF Government,” he said.

National Highway 17

Mr. Sabhapathi said the maintenance of National Highways was the responsibility of the State Government. There was no substance in the criticism of the BJP that the Union Government was not undertaking repair works of National Highway 17.

He said the funds provided by the Union Government for repair works of National Highway 17 were diverted for repair works of highways in Hassan district by the KDF Government because Hassan was the home district of powerful politicians such as H.D. Deve Gowda, H.D. Kumaraswamy and H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Why did V.S. Acharya and Nagaraj Shetty, who were then district in-charge Ministers, not protest against this in the State Cabinet meetings? he asked.

He said the transfer of Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao from Udupi to Bidar was the parting gift of the KDF Government to Udupi district.

Instead, the BJP was now blaming the Congress for its act of transferring Dr. Rao.

A delegation of the district unit of Congress would meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Friday to urge him to direct the Police Department to withdraw the false cases booked against Congress workers at the behest of some BJP leaders, Mr. Sabhapathi said.

Congress leaders Mahabala Kundar, Murali Shetty and Harish Kini were present.

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