BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he is pained by former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s ‘corrupt Lingayat CM’ remark. “Siddaramaiah is a senior leader and has served as the CM. I did not expect a statement like this from him that has shaken the souls of Lingayats. Terming the whole community as corrupt is unacceptable. His statement has pained me,” Bommai told reporters after paying tribute to Lord Basaveshwara at Basaveshwara Circle on Basava Jayanti here on Sunday.
“Karnataka has seen CMs and ministers from different communities like Lingayats, Vokkaligas and SC/STs. If Siddaramaiah had any problems with the functioning of the CMs or ministers, he should have targeted the individuals and not their entire community,” Bommai said.
Bommai said that Siddaramaiah’s statement reflects the culture of Congress where its former president Rahul Gandhi remarked about the Modi surname and added that people will reply to the party in the elections. “On the occasion of Basava Jayanti, we are starting the election campaign from Bengaluru that will go up to Kadur. We will tour the entire state. I am confident that people will bless us by electing BJP that is following the path of truth, justice and equality, the principles of Basavanna” he said.
Roadshow from Yelahanka
CM Bommai launched his roadshow ahead of the Assembly polls from the Yelahanka Assembly constituency in Bengaluru on Sunday after garlanding the statue of 12th-century philosopher Basavanna on Basava Jayanti day.
Bommai, trying to get into the big shoes of his predecessor BS Yediyurappa, with the party high command projecting him as the face of the party to lead the campaigning, held the roadshow at Doddaballapur, Nelamangala and Tumakuru. He reiterated the statements of party senior leaders that Karnataka should be free of Congress and warned the electorate that voting for JDS amounts to voting for Congress.
He said Doddaballapur will be developed and a satellite town will be established that will open up education and employment opportunities. He said the BJP government aims to provide good governance to all communities equally, protect the poor and downtrodden, and follow the principles of Basavanna and Dr BR Ambedkar.