Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Dec 23: Karnataka chief minister (CM), B S Yediyurappa, challenged former chief ministers of the state, Siddaramaiah, and H D Kumaraswamy, to explain to the people the very aim of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). He asked them to elaborate in what way these things create problems for the Muslims of the country. He expressed unhappiness at the fat that the former chief ministers, instead, are trying to purposefully confuse the people.
He was speaking at an emergency press meet he convened at his Dollars Colony residence on Sunday, relating to the charges levelled by Kumaraswamy at Mangaluru. "Does Kumaraswamy not know that when section 144 is in force, people should not come out in droves to the streets? Does he not know that it is an unpardonable crime? On the issues of NRC and CAA, all the opposition leaders are systematically misleading the minorities," he charged.
Yediyurappa said that when meetings had been convened with Moulavis and Muslim leaders in Bengaluru and Mangaluru, no one had claimed that the CAA and NRC affect them. "Therefore, these initiatives are not anti-people. We will try to convince the people about this fact," he stated.
Referring to Kumaraswamy’s statement that Yediyurappa's days as chief minister of Karnataka are counted, he said that no one can rock his position for the next three and half years. "We have majority, and we will be in power for the full term. You are currently decimated. You need to think what will happen to you at the end of three and half years. I do not know why Kumaraswamy is worried about my position," he quipped.
There have been demand for judicial inquiry into the firing incident at Mangaluru from various quarters. But the government appears to be favouring a probe by special task force.
'Will expand ministry around January 15'
B S Yediyurappa, has assured that he will meet the promises he made to disqualified legislators and that each one of the elected representatives will get accommodated in the ministry.
Speaking to media persons after the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected MLAs at the Vidhana Soudha on Sunday, December 22, Yediyurappa said he wants to complete the formality of ministry expansion as soon as possible.
He asserted that he will keep his word of making the disqualified and elected MLAs minsters. However, he added that the expansion will take place around Sankranthi day, January 15.
The recently elected legislators who had deserted their parents long back, have already waited quite long for their turn because of court case and election process. Now they have to wait till January 15 to realize the dream of becoming ministers. The legislators were initially agitated about the delay in becoming ministers but now they seem to have resigned to waiting for the wearing in to happen.
When contacted, the newly elected MLAs said that they are not in a hurry, and absorbing them in the ministry is left to the discretion of the chief minister.