Mysuru: Terming the BJP’s drought study tour as a mere eyewash, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah asked the BJP leaders to instead exert pressure on the Centre to release more funds for drought-relief measures in the State. Speaking to press persons at Mandakalli Airport here on Saturday, Siddharamaiah alleged that the BJP was following double standards on farm loan waivers.
Claiming that when B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister, while replying to Congress leader V.S. Ugrappa’s demand for farm loan waiver, had told the House that the Government had no currency printing machine to waive off farm loans. But now that the BJP in the Opposition, the party is demanding farm loan waiver, which is a perfect example for the BJP’s double standards.
Claiming that the Narendra Modi Government had not done even one work worth of note in the past three years, he alleged that the PM, who speaks volumes on agrarian issues, had failed to come to the rescue of the State.
Calling Yeddyurappa a liar, the Chief Minister said that the BJP leaders including Yeddyurappa, were silent when he (CM) led an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister for seeking adequate funds for drought relief.
Objecting to the Union Government’s proposal for taxing farm income, the CM said that the farming community was in distress and Prime Minister Modi should desist from making such moves. Referring to BJP leaders visit to a Dalit’s house in Tumakuru for having breakfast ahead of the party’s (BJP) drought study tour, the CM said that it was only superficial as there were reports that the BJP leaders ate food that was brought from a nearby hotel.
On the BJP’s demand for a white paper on the financial situation in the State, the CM said that he will come up with facts and figures on drought relief measures at the Monsoon Session of the State Legislature, which is scheduled to commence from June 5.
When his attention was drawn to reports on BJP National President Amit Shah conducting an internal survey to choose BJP candidates for next year’s Assembly polls, the Chief Minister said that he (CM) too was carrying out a survey to finding the right Congress candidates to take on the Opposition BJP and JD(S).
Replying to former CM and State JD(S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy’s charges that the CM was practising politics of hate by misusing the SIT, Siddharamaiah said he was not the one to resort to politics of hate and revenge.
MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar, MyLac Chairman H.A. Venkatesh, ZAK Chairperson Mallige Veeresh, City Congress President R. Murthy, District Congress President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar and others were present.
The recent visit to Tumkur by Karnataka BJP Chief B.S.Yediyurappa as part of his State wide tour along with other party leaders as a run up to prepare for the next year’s assembly elections was a non starter and was to some extent even counter productive offering Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other State Congress leaders to relish trolling him His visit to a local Dalit family to underline party’s solidarity with the backward community became more of a controversy. It was alleged that he partook tiffin brought from a hotel in preference to the tiffin prepared by the Dalit family he was visiting with other leaders.To make amends for this conduct which smacked of an upper caste mentality Mr.Yediyurappa is said to have partaken tiffin made by a Dalit family along with the other party leaders during his tour of Bagalkot which followed his Tumkur visit.