Mysuru : Former minister V Srinivas Prasad has said ,“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has failed in handling police intelligence.”

Instead of appealing to people for peace, he has been issuing provocative statements in connection with the Dakshina Kannada communal violence,” he said.

Addressing reporters here, Prasad said that the Home department, which is very important for the internal security of the state, is not being handled properly. “The chief minister is directly controlling the Home department through the advisor to the Home Minister, retired IPS officer Kempaiah. Those who know Kempaiah are aware of his infamous background. Why did he take voluntary retirement before becoming DGP? After mishandling of department by K J George and G Parameshwara, the government is now scouting for a new Home minister. The handling of alleged irregularities in Parappana Agrahara Central Prisons is also proof of how lightly the chief minister has taken the Home department,” he said.

Stating that no party wishes for a communal clash, Prasad said, “Siddaramaiah has been arrogant in issuing provocative statements during media briefings and also during a meeting with Police department officials in connection with the murder of Sharath Madiwala in Bantwal.”

“Dakshina Kannada district has been sensitive for a long time and everybody knows about it. So, if the chief minister, who directly has the Intelligence wing of the Police department under him, says that it was officials’ failure, he is lying. The transfer of the Intelligence DIG was uncalled for,” he said.

“The CM has failed to handle the row between Prisons DIG and DGP over the alleged lapses at Parappana Agrahara central prisons. If DIG Roopa had not reported about the irregularities to the DGP, the irregularities in the prisons would have continued forever. Now, the DIG is facing punishment. This is not the first time that women officials are being meted out injustice by the Siddaramaiah government. First, IAS official Rashmi, who unearthed the irregularities of her predecessor Amitha Prasad in the Administrative Training Institute, was victimised. Fortunately, she survived an attack on her, which would have proved fatal. Later, IAS officer C Shikha was made to wait for nearly one-and-a-half hours in Nazarbad Police Station before filing her complaint against former ZP president Marigowda for intimidating her,” he said.

Presidents of the rural and city district BJP units, M Shivanna and B H Manjunath respectively, former chairmen of MUDA Basavegowda and K R Mohan Kumar, city BJP senior vice president M Rajendra and former MLA C Ramesh were present.