The Hindu : Karnataka News : Deve Gowda dares NICE to sue him

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 06, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Deve Gowda dares NICE to sue him

Special Correspondent

I will not be cowed down by such threats, he declares at party workers' convention in Shimoga

The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda inaugurating `Chaitanya Samavesha,' a convention of Janata Dal (S) workers in Shimoga on Thursday.

SHIMOGA: The former Prime Minister and President of the Janata Dal (S), H.D. Deve Gowda, declared here on Thursday that no force could prevent him from serving the interests of poor farmers and said, "I resolve to serve them till my last breath."

He was addressing the "Chaitanya Samavesha" of party workers from the district here.

Referring to the reported threat of a defamation case against him by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) in the light of the Karnataka High Court verdict on the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, he said, "If they have guts let them file the defamation case against me. I will not be cowed down by such threats. Let them know that I am posing this challenge to them at this public meeting."

Regard for judiciary

Mr. Deve Gowda said he has the highest regard for the judiciary. "And precisely for this reason I do not wish to say anything about the case as it is proposed to be referred to the Supreme Court," he said.

Alleging that "those who were entertained by the bureaucracy" for the past six years are now talking in terms of filing a case against him, he said, "I am posing this challenge to them to file the defamation case against me, not as a former Prime Minister but as the representative of poor farmers. These people can lobby with bureaucrats and politicians in Delhi, but they cannot do it with me."

Alleging that the same persons who looted property in the State in the name of development are trying to threaten him, he declared that he would not allow it to happen. "I will not allow poor farmers to suffer on account it."

He said that when he came to know about the complaints about the manner in which the work on BMIC project was being implemented, he submitted a memorandum to the then Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, but it evoked a negative response from him.

"Later I approached the Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi, in this regard," he said and added that he was prepared for a discussion on the issue on any public platform.

Strongly denouncing what he called the campaign against him on the grounds that he is trying to project his son as the next Chief Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda described it as a blatant lie. "I am immensely happy and can die happily if I can see the implementation of the policies and programmes of my party for the welfare of the people by dedicated Ministers like Siddaramaiah and P.G.R. Sindhia by sharing power."

Stating that the Chaitanya Samavesha has nothing to do with the coming byelection to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga, Mr. Deve Gowda said the convention is meant to strengthen the party.

The Minister for Industries, P.G.R. Sindhia, said though Mr. Deve Gowda has been hailed as a leader of farmers, he has been accepted as a leader of other sections of society because of his commitment to serve them sincerely.

Among those who addressed the gathering were the Ministers Iqbal Ansari, D. Manjunath and N. Cheluvaraya Swamy; the President of the party's State unit, N. Thippanna; the Working President, H.D. Kumaraswamy; and Secretary-General, Mahima Patel.

The former MLA and BJP leader L.T. Thimmappa Hegde of Sagar and the former Congress MLA for Bhadravati M.J. Appaji Gowda joined the party on the occasion.

Dharna

Workers of the Shantaveri Gopalagowda Samajwadi Adhyayana Kendra Trust, led by its Managing Trustee, Kallur Megharaj, staged a dharna in front of the dais of the Chaitanya Samavesha.

They came in a procession and submitted a memorandum to Mr. Deve Gowda.

Their demands include the eradication of the tenancy system on land donated to government schools under the Bhoo Vidyadaana for Schools scheme and confirming the ownership of the land in favour of the tenants.

They also demanded that the proposed government medical college in Shimoga be named after the veteran socialist leader Shantaveri Gopalagowda.

Mr. Deve Gowda inaugurated the Autorickshaw Drivers' Welfare Committee here on Thursday and said he will continue to fight for the welfare of the working class. He said he will lead an agitation if the Government does not concede his demands aimed at the welfare of the working class, before October 2.

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