State dubbed 'Empire of Corruption'

Dubbing the State BJP government as an “Empire of Corruption”, Congress leaders today called upon advocates and human rights activists of the party in Karnataka to fight against this “evil” as a cause.

While AICC national spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi launched the strongest attack, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily asked the party’s advocates and human rights activists to rise in revolt against “corruption and illegal things” happening in the state.

“There is evil in the state,” charged Singhvi, presiding over the southern regional conference on the “role of advocates in democracy and protection of human rights” organised by the Legal and Human Rights Department of the State unit, in Mysore, and added there has never been a case in the history of the country of any state being strictured by the SC, except the BJP governments in Gujarat and Karnataka.

While Gujarat had been strictured for its communal stand, Karnataka had come for strictures on charges of corruption. “Within 24 hours of the Supreme Court empowered committee accusation of the State of rank corruption, the Chief Minister says there is no corruption.”

Singhvi, who is also the AICC Legal and Human Rights department chairman, charged the BJP government and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa of spreading “white lies” on illegal mining.

“White lies are being spread by this government. The chief minister says no mining lease is given by the government. The empowered committee of the Supreme Court itself says with details that this government and the chief minister recorded on July 2009 the grant of mining lease. He says we have recorded nothing. The report also says it is forest land.”

“Unfortunately, these persons are preaching to us about corruption. It is a travesty to find BJP speaking about corruption. They are also speaking of Lok Pal like devil quoting the scripture. There is no governance; there is no democracy in Karnataka. They have built an empire of corruption.” The Congress leader charged, criticising for ‘clinging’ to power despite all these.

“This evil should go and good has to triumph,” he said drawing a parallel with demon Mahishasura, who is mythically associated with Mysore, after being slained by Goddess Chamundeswari.

He asked each one of the advocates and human rights activists in Karnataka, to fight against this evil. “Take it up as a crusade against corruption. It is not for Delhi to say what you should. There is no reason to be defensive,” he said.

Listing several issues the party advocates and human rights activists can take up, Moily asked how many of them had taken up the issue of corruption in the State. “There is no rule of law. There is no democracy. Freebies are just granted. Laws are broken. But no lawyer is speaking about it. None of them is saying anything about what BJP is doing against democracy and Constitution. We need to fight against this evil,” he told them.

The minister said he was not saying they should fight against the BJP, but they should fight against its injustices, like ‘Operation Kamala’. He called upon them to “Revolt against these illegal acts. Even after reports after reports, the government is doing illegal things. The Legal Cell is the leader of the KPCC to fight against corruption. So, you need to do it.”