SHIVAMOGGA: Recollecting the struggle and people’s movements of Shivamogga, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the district has a special place in the history of Karnataka, which is being tarnished by the BJP.Addressing a public meeting at Gopi Circle in the city, he said Shanthaveri Gopalagowda, H Ganapathiyappa and Kagodu Thimmappa launched a struggle to create an egalitarian society, mainly through ‘Ulluvavane Holadodeya’, which provided ownership to thousands of tenants.
Many CMs have come from this part like Kadidal Manjappa, S Bangarappa and J H Patel, who maintained the pride and dignity, however it was B S Yeddyurappa who tarnished the image of Shivamogga, he said.
Requesting the people not to vote again for Yeddyurappa and BJP in the state, he said if the saffron party is voted it will again repeat the 2008 history wherein it took part in corrupt practices. “BJP is again projecting the corrupt Yeddyurappa as a Chief Ministerial face which is a curse for the state,” he said.
Taking a dig at Amit Shah visiting ‘Kavishaila’, Siddaramaiah said it is not proper to the people who have a communal mindset to visit the sacred place. He said if Kuvempu was alive, he would have not allowed Shah, Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders to visit Kavishaila.
Kavishaila is a Sarvajanangada Shanthiya Thota, but BJP’s gift to Shivamogga is just dividing the society between religions mainly Hindus and Muslims, he said adding that they should be prevented from coming to power.
Siddaramaiah said, “My government is committed to protecting the arecanut growers and the statement of gutkha causing cancer was wrongly interpreted by the BJP which projected us as anti-arecanut farmers.”
He also said to overcome the diseases faced by the arecanut trees, the government has sanctioned `86 crore.Siddaramaiah said neither the BJP nor the JD(S) will come to power in the general elections slated for May.