‘Priyank Kharge must resign on moral grounds as law and order has failed in Kalaburagi’

Criticism of misuse of Atrocities Act against BJP MLC by Kalaburagi Vedike, accusing political vendetta by Minister Kharge.

Criticizing the misuse of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, members of the Kalaburagi Nagarikara Hithrakshana Vedike have termed the false case filed under the Atrocities Act against BJP MLC N. Ravikumar as politically motivated and vendetta politics by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge and the Congress government.

Vedike members and BJP leaders Avvanna Myakeri and Ambarayya Ashtagi, addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, said that Mr. Kharge is misusing legal provisions to target BJP leaders.

Mr. Myakeri and Mr. Ashtagi said that the entire incident reported in Chittapur town on May 21, where the Congress workers and supporters of Mr. Kharge wrongfully confined Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy for five hours in a guesthouse, was carried out on the directions of their leader [Mr. Kharge].

They also added that the protest rally against Mr. Narayanaswamy and Mr. Ravikumar organised by the Nagarika Horata Samiti in Kalaburagi on May 31 was a rally sponsored by Mr. Kharge himself.

Mr. Ashtagi said that the district’s deteriorating law and order situation and rampant rise in crimes have instilled fear among the public. Mr. Kharge should avoid using police officers wrongly but focus only on maintaining law and order.

They demanded that those officials of the District Task Force Committee and Taluk Task Force Committee indulging in illegal extraction of sand should be suspended immediately.

Mr. Kharge, who is also district in-charge Minister, has failed to maintain law and order in Kalaburagi district and he should own moral responsibility and resign from the Cabinet immediately, they said.