BENGALURU: Two days after BS Yediyurappa’s petition seeking quashing of the FIR against him was dismissed by the high court, Karnataka Congress on Thursday threatened to stage a statewide protest if the chief minister fails to resign on moral grounds
“If Yediyurappa respects the law and believes in democracy, he should step down immediately. I feel he may resign on his own. Else, we may be forced to hit the streets in protest,” said opposition leader Siddaramaiah.
On Tuesday, the high court had rejected Yediyurappa’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR pertaining to illegal denotification of land in 2006-07 when he was the deputy CM in the BJP-JD(S) coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy.
“If he doesn’t resign within a week, we will decide what needs to be done to put pressure on him,” Siddaramaiah said.
Urging the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to intervene and ask Yediyurappa to step down, Siddaramaiah said the saffron party high command that has been planning to replace the chief minister has now got a strong weapon against him.
Stating that the HC said the FIR can’t be dismissed and probe has to conducted under watch of the Lokayukta court, he claimed it’s because the HC has no trust in Lokayukta police. “As he is the chief minister, there are chances of the investigation being influenced. It can’t be fair and impartial, so Yediyurappa should not be in power and resign. Let him come back once acquitted, we don’t have any objection,” he said.