Karnataka Congress leaders attack Yediyurappa family and voter-roll process

Congress leaders in Karnataka criticised the BJP, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his son B.Y. Vijayendra at a public meeting in Shikaripur on Wednesday.

The meeting marked the launch of the Bharat Jodo 2.0 yatra. KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad and ministers Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Rudrappa Lamani and others addressed the gathering in Shivamogga district.

Hariprasad said voters had given a fitting response in the constituency represented by Vijayendra. He accused leaders from Shikaripur of damaging Karnataka’s reputation through Operation Lotus and alleged that BJP leaders were acquiring properties and building colleges. Referring to Vijayendra’s comments on corruption, Hariprasad said those who had sent his father to jail after accepting a bribe had no standing to lecture others on corruption.

The report records the allegation but does not provide a response from Vijayendra or the BJP. Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of using an Election Commission exercise known as SIR to remove eligible voters. He claimed that 13.3 crore names had been deleted nationally, including more than one crore in Karnataka, and said minorities, Dalits and women were among those affected.

School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa also accused BJP leaders from Shikaripur of corruption and said the party was attempting to govern by dividing people. He said cultivators under the bagair-hukum system had not received land because the relevant committee had not met. Sugar and Textiles Minister Rudrappa Lamani, Muzrai, Fisheries and Ports Minister K.S.

Basavanthappa and several legislators attended the meeting. The source contains no response from the Election Commission to the voter-deletion allegations and no independent verification of the figures cited by the Congress leaders.