Hitting back at BJP state President for his offencive against him, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said B. S. Yeddyurappa was under the "illusion" of becoming the CM again and asserted that Congress will return to power in 2018 Assembly elections.
"I ask Yeddyurappa, not to be under illusion. People of Karnataka will not bless (him) again. Under my leadership and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's, we are hoping to win the 2018 assembly elections," Siddaramaiah told reporters on completion of three years of his rule here.
Yeddyurappa yesterday had said Siddaramaiah would ensure he would be the last Congress Chief Minister in the state.
"The three-year rule of Siddaramaiah has pushed the people of the state into a misery. After looking at three-year rule, it looks like Siddaramaiah will ensure that he will be the last Congress Chief Minister in the state," he had said.
There was no doubt among the people about his retainingpower in the next elections, but a person like Yeddyurappa, who had been to jail in a graft case, did not have the moral right to make such comments against him, Siddaramaiah said.
"I think, the BJP is under illusion. After indulging in corruption and having been imprisoned and losing ChiefMinister's post, such a person making such comments is untenable... he does not have any moral right to utter such words," Siddaramaiah said.
Asked what was the need for him to declare Rs 70 lakh worth luxury Hublot watch, "gifted" to him, as state asset after a controversy over it and his son Yatindra Siddaramaiah to quitMatrix Images Solution, if opposition's allegations were baseless, Siddaramaiah said he advised his son to quit the company, not because he violated any law.
"I only advised my son to quit the company, not because he has committed a mistake or he had violated the law. I only advised - as long as I am in power you (son) don't be a member of any company. I only advised him to quit," he said.
Siddaramaiah said his son has not violated law because he got the tender in a normal course of procedure. "My son is a doctor. Of course, he is a member in a company called Matrix and they have participated in the tender called by the government. The company was L1 (Lowest Bidder), so where is the violation of law in this case," he asked. Amid political pressure over nepotism charge, Siddaramaiah's son has resigned from a firm that was given a contract to set up lab and diagnostic facility at a government-run hospital here.
"No one in my government, in the last three years, has neither sought bail nor gone to jail in any of the corruption charges levelled by the opposition including Jagadish Shettar, BJP senior leader," Siddaramaiah said. On Shettar releasing 27-page a booklet of charge sheet against his government, Siddaramaiah said the so-called charges are mere false allegations.
"There is no FIR and no complaint against me and my government, and hence they are mere allegations, not charges," he said.
In the last three years, the government has tried to give a good pro-people's administration, he said, adding, there was no corruption charges against them also.
