HDK seeks CBI inquiry into Ballari incident; accuses government of trying to shield accused

Demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Ballari incident in which a Congress worker was killed, Union Minister for Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday alleged that the post-mortem on the body of Rajashekhar Reddy was done illegally for a second time. He also accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of attempting to bury the case.

“The State government has stretched itself to cover up the killing of its own party worker. This is shameful. According to information that I have received, the post-mortem was conducted twice. What were the findings of the first post mortem report? What does the second post-mortem reveal?” Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons here.

Questioning the need for the second post-mortem, the Union Minister asked: “Why was a second post-mortem conducted? Under whose pressure was it done? Who ordered it? Was the second done because the first one did not suit your [government] interests?”

Challenging the government to reveal the contents of the first post-mortem report, he asked Mr. Siddaramaiah to reveal the truth. He said “Are you not honest? Now speak the truth. Should the people of the State not know the truth?””

Casting aspersions on the investigation by the Karnataka police, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “The Chief Minister himself has said that the bullet was fired from the gun of Satish Reddy’s gunman but Mr. Shivakumar is insisting that the party would stand by him. The Home Minister (G. Parameshwara) is delaying the action. Useless Home Ministers are working in the State. It is not clear whether the Home Department is alive or dead. Under these circumstances what kind of investigation can the State government undertake? Can the truth come out in their investigation?”

He accused Dr. Parameshwara of not understanding the authority of his office and washing his hands off by forming a SIT.

Mr. Kumaraswamy asked how did so many guns come to Ballari. “Did they come from Pakistan? The Deputy Chief Minister should answer. The government is protecting murderers. Why is the accused Satish Reddy not being arrested but being treated as a State guest?”

Last Chief Minister of Congress

Mr. Kumaraswamy said that Mr. Siddaramaiah will be the last Congress Chief Minister of the State, and his record of longest serving Chief Minister has to be “buried”.

“Look at the condition of the State, his record needs to be buried. His is a textbook example of bad governance. Karnataka has today become an example of inefficiency and poor administration. He will be the last Congress Chief Minister. Voters will teach the Congress a lesson. The governance in the last two-and-a-half years will go down in history as one of the worst administrations. It appears that Mr. Siddaramaiah’s government is functioning for the sake of records.”