Siddaramaiah accuses Gowda, HDK of harassing him

Bangalore, Dec 8: Newly elected Congress leader Siddaramaiah today accused both former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his Chief Minister son H D Kumaraswamy of subjecting him to ''mental and physical harassment'' during the by-election to the Chamundeswari Assembly constituency.

Speaking to newspersons here after meeting KPCC Chief Mallikarjuna Kharge, he said the Janata Dal (Secular) had unleashed a reign of terror throughout the constituency and but for the impartiality of the Election Commission, there would not have been peaceful voting. The Chief Minister himself had violated the model code of conduct and rule of law and stayed put at a resort in the constituency despite the EC's order to keep away. Besides, Mr Kumaraswamy provoked youth to indulge in violence and the police were mere silent spectators to these developments, he charged.

Terming the by-election as ''historic'', he said no Chief Minister in the past had indulged in such malpractices during an election.

In fact Mr Gowda even held out a veiled threat to Election Observer J Raymond Peter, he pointed out.

Mr Siddaramaiah said he would not demand the resignation of the Chief Minister, who, according to him, should have realised his moral stand after declaring prior to the by-poll that he himself was the candidate.

He said the by-election outcome had also sent across a message that the Congress was ready to take on both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the JD(S) at the hustings anytime.

UNI