BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, and other senior Congress leaders, including ministers, staged a protest against the Centre over the delay in releasing drought relief funds.
Speaking to reporters after the protest, Siddaramaiah alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah hate Karnataka and its farmers. Despite the state’s request to provide justice, the Centre has not responded till date, and therefore, “we are drawing the attention of the people of the state and the country through protest”.
He further alleged that the PM and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have lied that the state is asking for grants for guarantee schemes and not for drought. “We have not asked a single rupee from the Centre for guarantees. We don’t need it,” the CM said.
He said the state government has spent Rs 650 crore for providing Rs 2,000 to 34 lakh farmers. “We have so far managed the drought situation successfully. We have provided drinking water, fodder, jobs to people, migration of workers has been stopped, and the first installment compensation to farmers has been paid,” the CM said.
He said the PM remembers Karnataka only during elections and he had not visited the state during floods and drought. He urged Shah to hold a meeting and allocate Rs 18,171 crore to Karnataka. The state government inevitably had to move Supreme Court, he said, adding that if it had not gone to the SC, the state would not received any compensation.
Siddaramaiah said they would go to the people’s court to appeal for justice.
BJP demands Election Commission to suspend chief secretary Goel
Bengaluru: BJP Karnataka members lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel for allowing Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala, to stage a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi Statue on the Vidhana Soudha grounds on Tuesday.
In their complaint, they mentioned that when the Model Code of Conduct has been enforced, it is a violation to let them protest at Vidhana Soudha. The complaint signed by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka and others stated that Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Surjewala and others, staged the protest inside Vidhana Soudha. “Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel is acting according to Congress whims and fancies. He should be suspended immediately and this conduct needs to be probed,” he said.
They also mentioned that Congress leaders are misusing their power and by protesting inside Soudha, they are trying to influence people by showing BJP in a bad light. They also urged the ECI to remove Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Surjewala’s name from the star campaigner list and not to allow them to campaign for their party candidates.
