R Ashoka, the opposition leader in Karnataka’s assembly, asserted on Saturday that a fresh chief minister will take charge before this year’s Dasara festival. Addressing a gathering in Mysuru’s Vijayanagar to mark five decades since the Emergency, Ashoka alleged that an internal agreement exists regarding the duration of the current CM’s term. He accused the CM of performing “all sorts of stunts” to retain power.
He clarified there were no active talks concerning the BJP state president’s position and assured that any internal disputes would soon be resolved. As directed by the party’s central leadership, a detailed report was submitted recently.
Challenging Congress, Ashoka demanded the party declare its stance on the Emergency imposed during Indira Gandhi’s regime. He insisted Congress leaders should apologise if they genuinely value the Constitution. Highlighting the period’s grave consequences, he spoke of mass detentions and the deaths of freedom fighters, criticising Congress for evading accountability for fifty years.
He urged CM Siddaramaiah, who calls himself a nationalist, to openly address the Emergency’s dark legacy. Ashoka accused Congress leaders of blindly venerating one political family out of habit.
Rejecting claims of an undeclared Emergency under the current government, he argued that citizens today face no curbs on contesting elections or criticising the nation abroad. Ashoka also condemned Congress for manipulating the Constitution during the Emergency and for treating B.R. Ambedkar’s heritage as their personal asset.