Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara has responded to the statement made by Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan regarding the by-election, which reportedly caused a setback for the party. According to Dr. Parameshwara, KPCC President has already addressed the matter and suggested that if a report is submitted to the party’s disciplinary committee, committee chairman Rehman Khan may take action.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Dr. Parameshwara said, “When I was a member of the AICC disciplinary committee, we would issue notices and even suspend leaders who made statements that harmed the party, regardless of their stature.”
In response to the Lokayukta investigation, which stated that there was no evidence regarding the 40% commission charges against BJP, Dr. Parameshwara clarified, “We fought based on the letter written by the Kempanna Commission. That was the evidence we had. We need to see on what grounds the Lokayukta police have claimed there is no evidence. If necessary, we are ready for a reinvestigation.”
On the issue of a possible change in the Chief Minister’s position, he said, “There has been no discussion on this within our party. However, BJP and JD(S) leaders are speaking about it. When they see Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, they feel threatened. Therefore, they fix dates to try and remove him from the CM position. It is natural for him to say that people will protest on his behalf. If they make baseless allegations against him, what will the people do? This is what the CM has said.”
Cabinet Meeting Decision:
On the issue of the COVID corruption scandal, Dr. Parameshwara said, “During COVID, there was corruption worth crores in the purchase of medicines and beds. The investigation report is now in the government’s hands. There were irregularities in pricing products sourced from China. We will decide in the Cabinet sub-committee meeting whether this investigation should be handed over to the SIT or the CBI.”
Regarding the misuse of BPL cards, he said, “Some people who are Income Tax payers, government employees, or own two or more cars have obtained BPL cards. These individuals must return the cards. If the government takes legal action, it could be difficult, but district-level officers are currently reviewing the cases.”
Dr. Parameshwara also addressed the sale of narcotic substances near schools and colleges. He stated, “There are reports of narcotics being sold in chocolate form near schools and colleges. In some places, even medical stores are involved in selling these drugs in tablet form. We will take action to cancel the licenses of such stores. Already, narcotics worth hundreds of crores have been seized. Around 80 people who were involved in drug trafficking and had come from abroad are being sent back to their home countries. We are maintaining strict surveillance at airports and interstate borders.”
Zameer Ahmed Khan and Dr. G. Parameshwara’s statements reveal ongoing discussions within the ruling Congress party regarding party discipline and the handling of serious issues such as corruption investigations and drug-related crimes.