SHIVAMOGGA, APRIL 22   :    Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that the investigation into the tragic murder case of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi will be handed over to the Corps of Detectives (CoD) for a thorough probe.
Addressing the media here on Monday, Siddaramaiah stated, “The case will be handed over to CoD for investigation. A special court will be set up, and the trial will be conducted in a time-bound manner.”

The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the region, prompting swift action from the state government to ensure that justice is served.

On BJP’s allegations that the CM has not paid a visit to Neha’s family at Hubballi till now, Siddaramaiah stated that the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil has already visited them along with Congress party workers and leaders.

“I will meet the parents when I go to Dharwad,” he said, emphasising that the state government is deeply committed to the investigation and takes the matter very seriously.

Additionally, Siddaramaiah reached out to Dingaleshwar Mahaswami and urged him to withdraw his candidature from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. He requested the spiritual leader to extend his support to the Congress party instead.

“I have requested Dingaleshwar Mahaswami to withdraw his candidature from Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency and support Congress,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Dingaleshwar Mahaswami’s response to this request remains awaited, and it will be interesting to see how this development impacts the political landscape in Karnataka. The Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency is expected to witness intense competition, and any shift in support could have significant implications.

Siddaramaiah also defended the ruling party’s recent advertisement campaign against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The campaign depicts the BJP’s contribution to the state and Kannadigas as zero or ‘chembu,’ meaning an empty pot.

“The Modi rule has been a total failure as the BJP has not implemented any of its promises during the last 10 years. We strongly condemn the step-motherly attitude of the Centre and Modi against Karnataka,” he said.

He further emphasised that the BJP should first rectify the injustice in the devolution of funds and grant approvals to all pending projects before criticizing the Congress party’s campaign.

Siddaramaiah also denounced BJP National President JP Nadda’s statement accusing the Congress of being the fountainhead of corruption. He countered the allegations by labeling the BJP as a washing machine, claiming that those facing Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax (IT) raids, and corruption charges often find refuge in the BJP, leading to their cases being “washed off.

Expressing skepticism over the BJP’s claims of honesty and integrity, he questioned the absence of ED and IT raids against prominent BJP leaders.

He specifically mentioned names like BS Yediyurappa, BY Vijayendra, Shobha Karandlaje, R Ashok, and Basavaraj Bommai, asking why investigations are not taking place against them if they are truly non-corrupt.(UNI)