HOLALKERE (CHITRADURGA): BJP national president Amit Shah has accused the Congress regime in the state of large-scale misuse of central grants of over Rs 3 lakh crore and has sought an account from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as to where the money has gone. The amount includes grants from the Union government and the state’s share in taxes under the 14th Finance Commission.
Addressing the BJP’s Parivarthana Yatra at Holalkere constituency in Chitraduraga district, he said all funds have been used by the Congress leaders in gratifying themselves, while the state lagged behind in development. “Where did the money go? If there is a Congress leader’s house in the town, compare how it has changed in four years. A house with a tin shed and moped has become a four-storeyed house with a car now,” he said.
“The development engine has stopped in Karnataka,” he said. Like a cut in power supply from an engine, corruption in the state has prevented progress for the people of the state, he added. “Siddaramaiah was asking the BJP what it has done for Karnataka. I came to give accounts,” he said. While Congress-led UPA granted Rs 88,583 crore under the 13th Finance Commission, the NDA government, under the 14th Finance Commission, sanctioned Rs 2.19 lakh crore. “Did the money reach the people?” he asked. Karnataka is now asking an account for the money, he said.
The mega rally was held in Holalkere, an SC-reserved constituency, currently represented by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya.
Shah also levelled serious allegations against the state government, which included the controversy over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Hublot watch, change of land use at Arkavathy Layout, Income-Tax raids on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, nepotism in granting lab contracts for the CM’s relatives, corruption worth Rs 900 crore in Malaprabha canal modernisation, bribes of Rs 100 crore for the steel bridge approval in Bengaluru, denotification of 1,800 lakes and others. “The list of corruption cases is very long. If I have to read everything in it, we will have to organise a seven-day Bhagwat Saptah,” he remarked.
‘State not probing murders of activists’
Amit Shah said, “More than 20 BJP and RSS activists have been killed. What was their mistake? And the state government is not even probing the deaths.”. He said the government withdrew cases against a fundamentalist organisation like SDPI. “But they want people to deposit a `10 lakh security bond for erecting Ganesha pandals. Policemen are not allowed to have tilaks — religious mark on the forehead. Salaries of temple priests have not been paid for four months”. The countdown for the end of Congress government has begun, he added.