After denying ‘Operation Lotus’ charge, BJP MLA Jarkiholi says Congress govt in K’taka may fall like in Maharashtra

PTI, Oct 30, 2023, 6:46 PM IST

Source: PTI / File

Belagavi: BJP MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Monday said that the Karnataka government may collapse like in Maharashtra, even as he rubbished Congress’s allegation that the saffron party was engaging in a 2019-like ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple the government.

He said the Congress government in Karnataka faces threats from within rather than any external one and that “Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and company” will be responsible for the fall.

He dismissed the Congress’s allegation that those who toppled the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019 are active once again and are offering bribes to the ruling Congress MLAs to jump ship.

Jarkiholi, who was previously with Congress and was seen as instrumental in the fall of the coalition government four years ago, said the BJP has never talked about ‘Operation Lotus’. Instead, it is the “drama company” of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar that is talking about it, he claimed.

“It is the drama company of D K Shivakumar which is talking about Operation Lotus and Rs 50 crore bribe. We BJP people never talk of ‘Operation Lotus’ and will not do it,” he said in a press conference.

‘Operation Lotus’, a term coined by the Congress, refers to an alleged BJP conspiracy to topple an elected government.

“So long as D K Shivakumar is in politics, this government is in danger. He behaves in one way when he is in opposition and differently when in power,” Jarkiholi said.

“The information I have is that this government will collapse due to D K Shivakumar’s Belagavi company. If this collapses, then it will happen like in Maharashtra. It may happen,” he added.

The BJP MLA claimed that his personal wish is that the government does not collapse and continues because “people should know how they lied and came to power”.

Admitting to ‘Operation Lotus’ in 2019, he said there was a “need” to destabilise the H D Kumaraswamy-led government of the JD(S) and Congress combine at the time.

“There was a need in 2019, so we did it. That too was not done by the BJP but by Jarkiholi and company. Neither the BJP gave us money nor did it lure us,” he claimed.

“We rebelled because of D K Shivakumar’s dictatorial tendencies and so we brought down the government. We were never against Siddaramaiah or Mallikarjun Kharge. We opposed D K Shivakumar. Today Shivakumar’s supporters say something but they have no basis in their claims,” he added.

The BJP leader said the Congress has failed on all the fronts “through their falsehood and false guarantee schemes”. Only to divert public attention, the “Congress is spreading lies”.

Regarding his recent meeting with former Chief Minister and JD(S) second-in-command Kumaraswamy, he said he met him only after the BJP formed an alliance with the JD(S) last month and not before that.

“We sat together to decide seat sharing,” Jarkiholi clarified.

When he was told that the Congress leaders have said they would expose the BJP conspiracy to topple the government during the assembly session, he said he would welcome it.

“Let them take action against the guilty and we will also support it,” Jarkiholi said.

Reacting to Jarkiholi’s statement, Shivakumar said in Bengaluru: “People have already given their verdict. We have works to do, and we are on it.”

Mandya MLA and Shivakumar loyalist Ravi Gowda (Ganiga) claimed last week those who tried to destabilise the government in the past are once again active in trying to bring down the present dispensation.

“Just as the coalition government was removed, a similar attempt is being made now. The team is searching for people and reaching home with allurements. We have information and videos. We have evidence to prove which MLA was contacted and how many crores of rupees was offered. We will make it public,” he claimed

“The team had even asked us to meet in Delhi. They are even ready to arrange special flights for it and make them meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They have even said that they have these many MLAs with them. They will call the MLA and put them on the speaker. They have already met four of our MLAs and discussed with them,” Gowda claimed.

According to the Congress MLA, a former chief minister’s personal assistant is also involved in the conspiracy and is actively taking part in the horse trading.

Claiming that he has the videos of the ‘noble men’ involved in horse trading, Gowda said, he has brought this development to the notice of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.