Cong not indulging in removing JD(S)-BJP: Dharam

Bangalore, Oct 26: Congress is not indulging in toppling the Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in Karnataka, Opposition leader in the legislative Assembly N Dharam Singh said today.

"The Coalition government, due to infighting among the partner parties, would fall on its own soon and there is no need for Congress to indulge in toppling the government", Mr Singh said at 'Meet the Press' organised by Bangalore Press Club here.

Claiming that the dissident legislators of both BJP and JD(S) were eager to join Congress, Mr Singh said that "Congress was not in favour of utilising the opportunity to topple the government.

Mr Singh alleged that due to internal squabbles among the coalition partners the law and order situation in the state has worsened, administration has collapsed and all the developmental activities have come to the grinding halt.

Accusing Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of misusing official machinery to woo the voters in the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency where by-elections are due to be held shortly, Mr Singh said that former JD(S) leader Sidharamaiah after joining Congress the party had quit his Assembly seat and to prevent his victory the JD(S) was indulged in all kind of tricks to win over the voters. "Despite JD(S) leaders gimmicks and strategies the people of the Chamundeshwari assembly would overwhelmingly support Sidharamaiah and would teach a lesson to the coalition government", he added.

Pooh-phooing the claim of Mr Kumaraswamy that the state government had disbursed loans to the farming community at lowest rate of interest of Four per cent, Mr Singh demanded the government to publish a 'White Paper' on the issue to know the truth.

Replying to a question, Mr Singh said that JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was not serious in conferring 'Inner Reservation' to the most backward communities among the OBC's and it was only political stunt of Mr Gowda without any conviction on the issue. "First let the state government constitute a permanent Backward Class Commission which was done away by the JD(S)-BJP government after coming to power in the State."

UNI