Cong leaders condemn Gowda's anti-Sonia comments

Mysore, Dec 1 (UNI) Congress leaders today strongly condemned the remarks made by former Prime Minister and JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda against AICC President Sonia Gandhi yesterday in connection with the December four Chamundeswari Assembly byelection.

Addressing a press conference here, former Union Minister Janaradhan Poojari said that being a former Prime Minister, Mr Gowda should give respect to other party leaders and it was not good on his part to make unwanted remarks against Ms Gandhi.

Stating that every party had the right to complain to the Election Commission against incidents during election process, he denied that the Union Government had been exerting pressure on the EC to take action against the JD(S).

Dismissing the JD(S) and BJP's charge that the EC was acting in a biased manner in favour of the Congress, Mr Poojari said that while 28 cases were filed against the Congress, only 17 were filed against JD(S) and eight against Samajawadi Party. As many as 68 vehicles of the Congress had been seized as against 44 of JD(S). The EC had acted in an impartial manner and there was no question of blaming its acts, he added.

On Mr Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy daring the EC to to serve notices to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for reducing petrol prices, he said the leaders should know before reacting that the Supreme Court had restricted the Union Government from announcing welfare measures or developmental works only during Parliament and Assembly elections and not bypolls.

Former Ministers G Parameswhara and B K Chandrasekhar, in a separate press conference, came down heavily on Mr Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy for their remarks against Ms Gandhi and accused the ruling parties of misusing official machinery in the run up to the bypoll.

UNI BSP GD VA KN1720