Contractor’s suicide: BJP targets Priyank Kahrge without evidence, says home minister

PTI, Dec 31, 2024, 3:00 PM IST

Bengaluru: Defending his Cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge, whose resignation the BJP has been demanding, in connection with the suicide of a contractor in Bidar last week, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said, unnecessary allegations are being made against him.

The home minister also hoped that the truth would come out from the CID probe.

The contractor has left behind a seven-page note in which he made allegations against a person, who is said to be Kharge’s aide.

BJP has demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should ask Priyank Kharge to resign immediately, and has set a January 4 deadline to hand over the case to the CBI, failing which the party has threatened to lay siege to the Minister’s residence after organising a huge rally in Kalaburagi.

“Priyank Kharge himself has clarified that he has no role in it and has nothing to do with it. He said that his name was not there in the suicide note. Despite this the BJP is trying to fix him. There should be some basis. If there is any proof that Priyank Kharge is directly involved then fine, but without any evidence unnecessarily accusing a person is not right,” Parameshwara said, responding to a question on BJP’s demand.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, BJP is a national party, and they should not stoop down to this level, as they too have run the government in the past, and they lead the government at the Centre.

“While running a government, we all function with responsibility. Priyank Kharge is also functioning responsibly. Unnecessary allegations are being made against him, if there is any supportive evidence then we will accept,” he added.

Sachin Monappa Panchal, a 26-year-old contractor, ended his life by falling under a train on January 26, leaving behind a suicide note alleging that Raju Kapanur, a close associate of Kharge, had issued death threats demanding rupees one crore for awarding a contract.

The note also accused seven others of cheating by not awarding him a contract, despite taking a Rs 15 lakh bribe. The contractor alleged that they threatened to kill him if he failed to pay the Rs 1 crore.

An FIR has also been lodged against Kapanur and five other Congress leaders in Kalaburagi on Saturday on the charge of allegedly conspiring to murder a few BJP leaders, including MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu, based on the suicide note.

To a question on police not arresting accused Raju Kapanur yet, the Home Minister said, the case had been handed over to CID.

“Unnecessarily making allegations is not fine, let there be a CID probe, truth will come out from it…..whether financial transaction was there or other things will be known from the inquiry,” he said.

Responding to a question, Parameshwara said as Priyank Kharge has been highlighting mistakes of BJP and JD(S) publicly on several occasions both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly, they don’t like it, and hence they are targeting him.

To a question on the state government’s decision to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the bail granted to Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and other accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, Parameshwara said, “It was decided at the government level in this regard, an order was issued yesterday. An appeal will be filed in the Supreme Court.” Reacting to BJP MLC C T Ravi meeting the Governor, alleging that he was illegally arrested, and ill-treated by the cops in Belagavi, based on a complaint by Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accusing him of using a derogatory word against her in the Legislative Council, the home minister said, CID is probing it and facts would come out. “Action will be taken based on that,” he added.