AFZALPUR: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has denied the reports that his government decided to recommend to the Union Government to accord a separate religion status to Lingayats.
Speaking to press persons here on Saturday, the chief minister said he wanted both Veerashaivas and Lingayat leaders to come together to ask for a separate religion status for the community.
The government received five representations from a delegation of Lingayats, Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Virakta Mutts, Panchapeethas and Maate Mahadevi, but they did not come together, he said.
This government has decided to send all the representations to the Minorities Welfare Commission which would be asked to make a suitable recommendation.
The Commission may appoint an expert committee to look into the matter, he said adding that based on the report of the commission, the government would take an appropriate decision.
‘We are Basava bhakts’
Siddaramaiah said Congress government has done much more than what the previous BJP dispensation did for the development of Basavakalyan and the rest of the region.
Reacting to BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa that he would hold a cabinet meeting at Basavakalyan (the place of Basaveshwara), if his party comes to power, Siddaramaiah said holding a cabinet meeting alone is not a solution to problems of Basava bhakts.
“Let Yeddyurappa tell what he has done for Basava bhakts when the BJP was in power. The Congress government has constituted Basavakalyana Development Authority and named Women’s University after Akka Mahadevi. My government has decided to develop Kudalasangama on the line of Akshar Dhama and construct Anubhava Mantap at BaGuj savakalyan”, he said.
Guj polls will have no impact on state elections: Siddaramaiah
Afzalpur: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed that there was a “strong undercurrent” in favour of the Congress in Gujarat according to a survey conducted by the party a few days before the elections in that state. “Based on it we hoped that the Congress would form a government in Gujarat. But exit polls conducted by media suggest that the BJP would establish a clear majority.
Let us see what happens on Monday (the of counting of votes)”, he said. On whether the results of Gujarat assembly elections would affect the prospects of the Congress in Karnataka, the reply of the chief minister was “absolutely no”.
Now voters should pay wages to government: CM
Afzalpur: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said it is time for people now to return favours to his government for its good work for the last five years. “Congress party has given good governance in the last five years. We have worked for you. Now it is your duty to give us the wages for the work in the form of mandate in the ensuing elections to the Assembly”, he said on Saturday. Addressing the public at ‘Sadhane-Sambhrama’ here, Siddaramaiah said the Congress had made 165 assurances in its manifesto and all of them have been fulfilled.
He reminded the audience that his government has implemented many ‘Bhagya schemes like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya and Shoe Bhagya. Siddaramaiah claimed that he is the only the second chief minister in the state after Devaraj Urs to complete a full five-year term. “I could complete the term because of your blessings. I used the opportunity to serve you well. Now you have to bless us by electing sitting MLA of Afzalpur Malikaiah Guttedar again”, he said. When the public asked him to make Guttedar a minister, he showed his thumb, but did not say anything. Attacking former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah said, “he said he would expose my involvement in corruption on a daily basis. But he has done nothing”.
Siddaramaiah compared Yeddyurappa with a snake charmer. “Yeddyurappa plays pungi (wind instrument) but there is no snake in his bin (butti). I have given corruption-free governance and when this is the case, how can Yeddyurappa expose me. A man who has already been exposed and went to jail is taking about me”, the chief minister chided.
Taking strong objection to the union minister Anantkumar Hegde’s statement on the recent violence in Uttara Kannada district, Siddaramaiah it showed the culture of the BJP minister. Addressing another programme at Sedam, he rubbished the demand of Yeddyurappa to bring out a white paper on the functioning of the Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Development Board.