Deve Gowda releases 10 point chargesheet against Congress

Bangalore, Sep 18 (UNI) Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) National President H D Deve Gowda today declared a war against the Congress by releasing a 10-point chargesheet against its leaders.

Releasing the charegsheet at a media conference, Mr Deve Gowda dared the Congress leaders to either reply to his questions or apologise to the people of the state for ''attempting to destabilise a popular government and making baseless and mischievous allegations against me, my party and my family.'' Replying to queries, he said, ''War has begun. Many in the past had tried to finish me and my family politically. I was the only leader to go before the Lok Ayukta and no one else had the courage.

If anyone, including his party workers, had any evidence against me or my family members they could submit it before the commission of inquiry ordered by the government.'' He said he would wait for response to his questions from the party leadership in New Delhi. If the congress did not prove its charges, he would reveal the truth before the people's court, he declared.

Tracing developments that led to the formation of the first ever coalition set up in the state headed by N Dharam Singh, and subsequent government headed by JD(S) and Bharatiya Janata Party, he said he was compelled to respond to the 'campaign of calumny' with the sole objective of destabilising a popular government enjoying the support of majority of legislators and tarnishing the reputation of his family. ''I am constrained to issue a chargesheet against the main opposition and I take full civil and criminal responsibility for the same. Let the people of Karnataka be the prosecutors and the judge,'' he added.

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