BENGALURU: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Congress government in Karnataka a "10 per cent commission government", Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit back at the PM by accusing him of 'Shielding looters like former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who had gone to jail on corruption charges' and termed Modi as 'morally unfit to be the Prime Minister'.
Siddaramaiah challenged Modi to substantiate his accusations with evidence and questioned the PM's moral credibility to speak about corruption sitting beside Yeddyurappa. Modi had made the charge during his address at the 'Parivartan Rally' in Bengaluru on Sunday in the presence of Yeddyurappa and other party senior leaders.
"It is a shame that Modi who is branding our government as corrupt and 10 per cent commission government has declared a man (Yeddyurappa) who had been to jail on corruption charge as BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in Karnataka," Siddaramaiah said.
"We need not learn lessons from these looters," Siddaramaiah added.
"Prime Minister Modi is morally unfit to be the Prime Minister. He is supporting and facilitating corruption," Siddaramaiah alleged.
Referring to Prime Minister’s recent statement where he stated that “countdown has begun for Karnataka government”, Siddaramaiah hit back and said, “countdown for the Prime Minister has begun not for his government”.
Stating that the Prime Minister was facilitating corruption, Siddaramaih said that the former is not morally fit to be the Prime Minister.
He further asked the Prime Minister to fight the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections with dignity.
Siddaramaiah also took a jibe at the Prime Minister for holding Parvitan rally in the state and said that the rally is being funded by “Adani –Ambani.”
When asked as to who is funding BJP’s Parvitan rally, he said, “Which money? whose money?. Maybe, it is from Ambani or from Adani. May be, it is from somebody else. It is black money.”
Siddaramaih also raked up the 2002 Godhra riots and recent Haryana’s Kasganj violence and said, “How many died during their tenure in Godhra? Over 2000 people were killed back then. Also, is there any law and order in Haryana? Wherever the BJP is in power there is no protection for minorities.”
The Chief Minister also attacked BJP chief Amit Shah and state BJP chief BS Yedduyurappa and said, “BJP president was involved in a murder case... Here (in Karnataka) also they are projecting a Chief Minister candidate (BS Yedduyurappa) who has been to jail.”
Siddaramaiah also took on the Prime Minister for saying that Karnataka has not been receiving the benefits of Centre's funds.
“The Prime Minister keeps making comments that he has given so much money to the states. Where do you think this money is coming from? It is the taxes collected in the state which was sent to the Centre. It is our money which comes back,” he added.
“As per 14th finance commission, in last three years we were supposed to get 95.200 crore, whereas we got 84.500 crores, so they have to give 10,000 crores more. This neither Prime Minister knows nor Amit Shah,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, while addressing a rally in Bengaluru, the Prime Minister launched a veiled attack at the Siddaramaih-led Karnataka government while saying that people of the state have not received the benefits of Centre's funds.
"Can you see the funds provided by the centre utilised properly in Karnataka? Can you see the benefits of funds provided by the centre to Karnataka?" he asked the attendees.
(With inputs from ANI)