Contractor Suicide: Karnataka Congress Urges Governor Gehlot To Expel Minister Eshwarappa

The delegation will also demand to lodge of corruption and murder charges against Minister Eshwarappa and further stress for his immediate arrest

Karnataka Congress meet Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. (Image: Twitter/ANI)

New Delhi: The Karnataka Congress has decided to intensify agitation against the ruling BJP government in connection with the suicide case of a contractor and BJP worker, Santhosh K Patil.

The delegation of top Congress leaders, including party General Secretary and state in-charge Randeep Surjewala, will meet Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday demanding the termination of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj KS Eshwarappa.

The delegation will also demand to lodge of corruption and murder charges against Minister Eshwarappa and further stress for his immediate arrest. Along with Surjewala, state Congress President DK Shivakumar, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Opposition leader in Legislative Council BK Hariprasad, Campaign Committee Chairman MB Patil and others would meet the Governor and submit a memorandum in this regard.

"We have appealed to the Governor to dismiss Eshwarappa, get him arrested...Secondly, a corruption case should be regd against him given that he would seek 40% commission from his own people, including contractor Santosh Patil(who later died by suicide)," news agency ANI reported, quoting Shivakumar.

"Governor told us that he will speak with the concerned authorities on the matter," Congress President added.

Governor told us that he will speak with the concerned authorities on the matter: DK Shivakumar, Congress pic.twitter.com/W4PAh8VTSh

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2022

Santhosh Patil, a contractor from Belagavi had stated in his message to the mediapersons that "he was committing suicide as Minister Eshwarappa was not releasing funds for Rs 4 core worth projects that he had executed. He also said that he was being asked to give 40 per cent cuts to him." Patil's body was recovered from Udupi lodge later on Tuesday.

The Congress since Tuesday launched protests against the government demanding the sacking of Minister Eshwarappa. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had lodged a police complaint against him in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the BJP high command has sought a report from its state unit in connection with the suicide case.

The development has proved to be a setback for the ruling BJP which has been riding high on the Hindutva agenda in the state for quite some time. Congress party, which was neutral on a series of issues of communal polarization and was on a fix, has come out aggressively on the issue. The deceased Santhosh had earlier written letters to the top central BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 40 per cent commission demand by Minister Eshwarappa.

Sources in Congress said that the party has decided to raise the issue all across the state and at the national level. They also said the party would question Prime Minister Modi, who charged the erstwhile government of Siddaramaiah as a '10 per cent commission government'.

(With IANS, ANI inputs)