BENGALURU: A day after his open request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for central assistance towards flood relief went unanswered, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was in damage-control mode on Friday. Thrashing reports of the PM deliberately snubbing his plea for assistance, Yediyurappa said that contrary to the picture being painted by the Opposition and the media, Modi had assured that Karnataka’s demands will be considered.
Lashing out at the media for ‘attaching motive to his speech which was plain and honest in content’, Yediyurappa insisted that the PM had lent him an ear. “Being in federal set-up, there is nothing wrong in placing the facts before the Prime Minister and making submissions. As a Chief Minister, I placed our state’s problems and need of more funds for developmental activities before him,” he said.
Modi asked for report, says BSY
“The PM spoke to me personally and assured me of all help. He suggested that I visit New Delhi to meet the ministers concerned and apprise them about the state’s problems and pending projects. He also directed me to prepare a detailed report on this matter,” the CM added.
Yediyurappa, who was sharing the stage with the PM at Tumakuru on Thursday, apprised him of the damage caused due to floods and how only Rs 1,200 crore had been released from the Union government. Even as Modi looked on, Yediyurappa insisted that the Centre release more funds. The PM, however, neither made mention of Yediyurappa’s plea nor assured more assistance to Karnataka during his address.
The PM’s refusal to talk on the issue of flood relief and Yediyurappa’s speech bordering on accusation of the Centre for not providing enough relief had hit the headlines and provided Congress ammunition to target for Modi as being unconcerned about Karnataka and Yediyurappa for being a “weak Chief minister”.