Attacking the BJP over the demand for a CBI probe into the death of its worker, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday said that it was in the habit of politicising deaths, and that this would also join the long list of deaths over which BJP tried to take political advantage.
“Do you consider WhatsApp message as a death note? Even if you did, does it name Congress legislators A.S. Ponnanna and Manthar Gowda? They (BJP) want to keep up its identity, and its leaders want to please the high command by politicising the deaths,” Mr Kharge told presspersons here. He pointed to the previous cases in which, he said, the BJP indulged in politics over death.
The Minister said that investigation was under way and the truth would come out when it got completed. “Has anyone, including the legislators, opposed the investigation? The CBI has written to the State government, stating that it was under stress and could not handle more cases. It had sought personnel and vehicles from the State. Does not BJP leaders know about it?”
Further, he said, “When a youth in Bidar committed suicide, was my name there? They held a huge protest in Kalaburagi. Did they follow it up? Neither are they following up with investigations nor did they raise the issue in the Assembly. They are not trying to find out the truth. The Kodagu case is part of lies being peddled by the BJP.”
The Minister also referred to an earlier announcement of Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya on setting up of a helpline to assist BJP workers. “Does its leaders remember the helpline number? Can they say how many complaints of harassment by Congress government was filed with it?”
Meanwhile, Home Minister G. Parameshwara also told reporters that there was no need for a CBI probe in the case, and that the State police were capable of handling it.
Published - April 06, 2025 09:05 pm IST
