BENGALURU: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday hit out at the BJP government in Karnataka for its handling of the flood situation. Claiming that the lack of a state cabinet and council of ministers were hampering rescue and relief operations, the Congress leader said, “The Centre wasn’t doing Karnataka any favour by releasing funds for rehabilitation.”
On the day Union Home Minister Amit Shah was taking stock of the flood situation in the state, Siddaramaiah asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi hadn’t conducted an aerial survey despite a disaster of this magnitude hitting the state.
Sunday’s attack marked the first of such from Siddaramaiah after BS Yediyurappa took over as the CM.
Siddaramaiah, who returned from Delhi after the Congress Working Committee meeting, insisted that the monsoon fury in Karnataka should be declared a national disaster.
“The funds they have released so far won’t suffice for anything. Neither are we beggars to keep asking the Centre for funds nor are they doing us a favour,” Siddaramaiah lashed out demanding that Rs 5000 crore be immediately released by the Union government.
Pointing out that Karnataka had given BJP 26 MPs, Siddaramaiah said there was no excuse for sidelining the state.