MYSURU: The BJP has accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of employing state machinery to stop people from attending the Parivartana Yatra, which was attended by BJP national president Amit Shah, in Mysuru on Thursday.
Shah, who addressed the rally, accused the state of also plotting to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally, scheduled to be held on February 4. “Despite this, the people who will turn up at the rally will show Siddaramaiah who will win the upcoming elections,” he said.
The Parivartana Yatra has instilled fear in the hearts of Congress leaders. Because of this, Siddaramaiah attempted to stop Thursday’s rally by employing undemocratic means, he alleged. “Congress has not forgot its culture of Emergency (in 1975),” he said. “I have come to challenge the CM. You cannot stop BJP. The next government will be formed by BJP,” he asserted. The rally was held in Siddaramaiah’s home district Mysuru.
Party state president B S Yeddyurappa also attacked the state government said that Siddaramaiah, with an intention to prevent the success of the Yatra in Mysuru, has turned some Kannada organisations against BJP. “Despite a desperate attempt to prevent people from coming to the rally, people have showed that they are with us. They have disrupted the CM’s effort to disrupt the rally,” he said.
Amit Shah, however, skipped addressing the controversial issue of implementing the Mahadayi project for drinking water supply in some districts of North Karnataka. Yeddyurappa had earlier claimed of holding a meeting with Goa CM Manohar Parrikar at Shah’s residence. However, at Thursday’s rally in Mysuru, Shah did not reveal his stand on the issue which has raised a political storm.
Hours after Shah accused Siddaramaiah of making attempts to stop people from attending the BJP rally in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP leader for not mentioning Mahadayi issue in his speech.
“BJP leaders have no moral right to come and speak in Karnataka if they do not solve Mahadayi dispute,’’ Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru. “Instead of just making false statements, let him (Shah) convince the PM to intervene and solve the inter-state river water sharing issue. Let the BJP president tell people that the Prime Minister will make an announcement during his visit to Bengaluru on February 4,” he said.
Reacting to Shah’s claims that the Centre has increased grants to the state, the CM said grants are given as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission and the Centre has not done any favour to Karnataka.Pro-Kannada activists also criticized the BJP president for not mentioning Mahadayi issue in his speech.