Priyank will step down before end of our padayatra: Ashoka

Raichur: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly R Ashoka on Tuesday predicted that Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge would be forced to step down before the end of the BJP’s 10-day padayatra, which kicked off in Lingasugur in Raichur on Tuesday.The 10-day long padayatra, which was flagged off by former chief minister B S Yediyurappa in Lingasugur, will cover a distance of 185 km and end in Ballari on September 10. Ashoka, addressing the gathering of BJP workers, said that the Congress government would lose ‘three wickets’ within the next three months. “Minister B Nagendra has already resigned, and two others will be forced to step down soon,” said the LoP.Ashoka alleged that Nagendra had misappropriated funds from the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation and diverted them to the Congress high command. “The Congress party leaders distributed the money among themselves. The state government has also fixed prices for posts in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Although more than 2,500 farmers have committed suicide in the past three years, the government has done nothing to secure the welfare of the farmers,” rued Ashoka.Accusing the Congress of pinching people’s pockets by levying taxes, Ashoka said, “Although a total of 174 taluks in the state are drought-stricken, the government has not included 74 taluks in its list. Pension allocation and ration cards are being suspended. I feel the devil (Siddaramaiah) has left office, and a demon has taken over the government.”Meanwhile, Ashoka’s counterpart in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy accused the Congress government of misusing central funds earmarked for the construction of toilets.The BJP’s padayatra will pass through nine Assembly constituencies across four districts in the Kalyana Karnataka region. Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra, former CMs Jagadish Shettar, Basavaraj Bommai, MP Govind Karjol and former minister B Sriramulu among others were in attendance at the event.Quote: “Although a total of 174 taluks in the state are drought-stricken the government has not included 74 taluks in its list. Pension allocation and ration cards are being suspended. I feel the devil (Siddaramaiah) has left office and a demon has taken over the government.”- R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly

Source: Deccan Herald