Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stood firm on Saturday regarding the arrest of Janata Dal(Secular) leader HD Revanna, insisting the government stayed completely out of the process. Revanna was taken into custody over the alleged abduction of a woman linked to the sexual assault case involving his son, Prajwal Revanna. Addressing the backlash from the JD(S), the CM was blunt: "We don't interfere in any case. Everything was done strictly by the book."
Siddaramaiah didn't pass up the chance to mock the JD(S) for their threats of "revenge" once they return to power. He pointed out the stark reality of their current numbers, noting that the party has shrunk from 59 seats back when he was their president to just 17. "I wonder how 17 MLAs plan to form a government," he quipped, dismissing their claims of a comeback as pure fantasy. Even with a Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, he argued, there is zero chance of them unseating the Congress, which currently sits strong with 140 members.
The CM also brushed off "fixing" allegations, specifically rumours that officials were bribed to target Revanna. When asked about a ₹25 lakh reward given to the investigation team, he maintained it was a standard recognition of work, not a bribe. He confidently predicted that Congress would cruise to victory again in 2028, regardless of whatever "coalition arithmetic" the opposition tries to pull off.
On the administrative front, Siddaramaiah shared that budget preparations are set to kick off on February 2. He also touched on his recent trip to Davos, noting that the international community is still very high on Karnataka because of its massive pool of skilled labor.
Finally, he weighed in on the ongoing friction with the Governor. While the Governor recently reported to the President about the events of January 22, Siddaramaiah reminded everyone that under Article 163, the Governor is constitutionally bound to address the joint session. "We will provide the speech text," he said, "and he is expected to read what the government provides." As for the Republic Day tableau controversy, he shot back at the BJP, insisting the state did its part and it was the Centre that chose to exclude Karnataka.
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