Bengaluru, Oct 7 — Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka on Wednesday claimed that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was worried about alleged sting operations targeting Congress ministers because he had been involved in such activities earlier.
Responding to Shivakumar's alleged apprehension, expressed at a Cabinet meeting, that BJP and JD(S) could target Congress ministers and conduct sting operations against them, Ashoka said in Chitradurga that the Chief Minister's concern reflected his own mindset.
"Shivakumar is worried over sting operations being conducted on Cabinet ministers because he was into it earlier," Ashoka said.
He added that "a thief's mindset is always suspicious", claiming that this was Shivakumar's own habit and that he was now preaching to his party leaders.
Ashoka claimed that the Congress was now a "sinking ship" and that its MLAs were aware that they would not be able to win the next elections.
He said the Congress government had failed to provide funds for development and claimed that several Congress MLAs were already thinking about switching parties and contacting BJP leaders.
"Congress is a divided house," Ashoka said, alleging that MLAs were considering switching parties and contacting BJP leaders because they had not been given funds for development by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Ashoka also referred to the Congress government's handling of the drought situation, saying that the party's own leaders and MLAs had raised concerns against their government.
Former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, reacting to the issue in Bengaluru, said he did not want to comment on the internal administration of the Congress government.
However, he claimed that Shivakumar appeared keen to remain Chief Minister for a few more days and was worried that corruption cases involving ministers could ultimately affect him.
"I don't want to comment on their internal administration," Gowda said.
He added that the intention appeared to be that Shivakumar wanted to remain in the position of Chief Minister for a few more days and was concerned that if ministers were caught in corruption cases, it would ultimately reflect on him.
BJP MLC C.T. Ravi also criticised Shivakumar over the alleged advice to ministers to be cautious about being caught in sting operations.
Ravi said Shivakumar should have advised ministers to remain honest instead of warning them against getting caught.
"Advising ministers not to be caught and continue the theft is like an experienced thief teaching other thieves," Ravi said in Bengaluru.
He said Shivakumar should instead follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stated approach to corruption and tell ministers that he would neither indulge in corruption nor allow others to do so.
Ravi alleged that instead of taking such a position, Shivakumar had suggested that ministers should avoid getting caught.
Ravi further took a jibe at Shivakumar, calling him the "most apt Chief Minister for Kaliyuga" and saying that he might even fool "Kali".