Mangaluru : Senior Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary on Saturday said that the reported statement of State Planning Board Deputy Chief C.M. Ibrahim criticising the Siddaramaiah government and praising the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda indicate a conspiracy to weaken the Congress in the State.

Mr. Poojary told presspersons here that Karnataka is the only major State where the Congress is in power and attempts are being made to weaken the party here also.

He alleged that Mr. Deve Gowda, with several other leaders, including Mr. Ibrahim, appears to have hatched a conspiracy to eliminate the Congress in the State.

When the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board criticises the functioning of his very own government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the Chairman of the Board, should sack Mr. Ibrahim. Or else, Mr. Siddaramaiah should demit office, he demanded.

Charging Mr. Ibrahim with not contributing anything to strengthen the Congress, Mr. Poojary urged the party High Command to expel him from the party. Mr. Poojary said that he is aware that both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Ibrahim are old-time friends from the Janata Parivar. There are only three or four leaders with Mr. Siddaramaiah in the party, he added.

Referring to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s statement that the government would go ahead with the Yettinahole Water Diversion Project, Mr. Poojary said that the Congress government is hell-bent on devastating the Netravati, the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada.