K'taka contractor death: Party will take necessary action against anyone, if found guilty, BJP National secretary Dushyant Gautam

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam on Thursday said that if the allegations against the BJP leader KS Eshwarappa in the contractor Santosh Patil's death are true, then the party will take necessary action against him.

An FIR has also been registered against Karnataka minister Eshwarappa in this case.

Congress is also demanding the dismissal of the minister in this matter.

The Congress delegation has also met the Governor of Karnataka in this matter and is continuously demanding action against Eshwarappa.

"It is the rule of our party that if the allegation is levelled against anyone. Whatever action is required, it will be taken on them. There will be absolutely no indiscipline within the party," Gautam told ANI.

Earlier, Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwarappa made it clear that he would not resign under pressure from the opposition. The minister defended himself by saying that "no death note was found near the body". Any relationship with the contractor is denied, he added.

He said, "I have not seen the face of Santosh Patil, but as journalists are saying that he used to go to Delhi often. It should be investigated who booked his flight tickets and why."

Earlier today, Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and others were detained as the police stopped them from marching toward Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence to demand Minister KS Eshwarappas's resignation in connection with contractor Santosh Patil's death.

The leaders have been detained at High Grounds Police Station. Earlier today, Patil's mortal remains arrived at his residence in Belagavi.

Meanwhile, the brother of the deceased contractor on Wednesday demanded the arrest of Eshwarappa and his close aides Ramesh and Basawaraj.

Speaking to the reporters here, Prashant Patil (brother of the deceased) had said, "Minister KS Eshwarappa, Basawaraj and Ramesh (Eshwarappa's close aides) must be arrested. We want justice."

(ANI)

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