BANGALORE: “If voted back to power, Congress will recover the losses the state exchequer sustained during the BJP’s rule,” declared Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah. He was addressing a gathering at the launch of the Congress’ programme, ‘Join Congress and bring change’, here on Sunday.
Adding that the Lokayukta in its report on illegal mining in the state recommended that the revenue loss be recovered by slapping a five-fold penalty, he vowed: “I will recover over Rs 1 lakh crore from those who plundered the state.”
He also charged that iron-ore worth over Rs 20,000 crore was looted when B S Yeddyurappa was the CM. He added: “This government which came to power by default has lowered public dignity,” while referring to Yeddyurappa’s term in jail and the porngate scandal.
He lambasted Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, his predecessor and Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah for their clean chit to the three former ministers involved in the porngate scandal.
On the inept governance on various issues, the Opposition leader averred: “It looks like this government is all but dead. Welfare schemes commenced by the earlier Congress government have been ignored.
“We will supply rice at Rs 3 per kg to the below poverty line families,” he announced, which was met with cheer.
‘No Fissures in Congress’
Earlier, Siddaramaiah denied the reports of fissures appearing in the state Congress unit. “No leader is indulging in groupism.” He termed reports of differences between him and G Parameshwar as “creation of the media without truth”.