MYSURU : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act against the corrupt people in the BJP. Taking exception to the prime minister referring to the MUDA scam during the election rallies in Haryana, Siddaramaiah has hit out at the former accusing him of remaining silent over corruption in this party.
Asked about the BJP demanding his resignation after Lokayukta police registering an FIR, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the court has directed to register an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others. Will the prime minister and the BJP demand her resignation, he asked.
Asked about Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy’s allegations, Siddaramaiah said the JDS leader has made a bundle of lies.
Meanwhile, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said opposition parties don’t have the moral right to demand the chief minister’s resignation. The chief minister must not be blamed for the MUDA scam as the process started long back, he added.
CM holds closed-door meet
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cancelled all his engagements and held a closed door meeting with District Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh and CM’s legal advisor and Virajpet MLA A S Ponnanna at his residence in TK Layout on Saturday morning.
A source said the leaders deliberated about the ramifications of the FIR and other issues. After the meeting, when Suresh came out of the house, the reporters questioned him regarding the meeting. However, Suresh, who was tightlipped, said he was on his way to Madikeri and just visited Siddaramaiah. He denied to disclose any detail.
‘MGNREGA helped people survive pandemic’
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said lots of poor people would have suffered badly during the pandemic if schemes like MGNREGA and Anna Bhagya were not functional.
Speaking after releasing the book ‘Guarantee Yojanegalu: Badavara Surakshathe Mathu Kalyana’ written by D Srinivasa Managalli here on Saturday, Siddaramaiah said during the pandemic, people were restricted to stay in their homes to contain the spread of the virus.
“It was a difficult time for the people as they could not come out of their house for two to three months. Poor people with no financial support faced difficulties for survival. During that period, the MGNREGA and Anna Bhagya schemes came to the rescue of the people. Without the schemes during Covid, lots of people would have suffered. The anna bhagya scheme when it was first introduced, lots of people stated that the scheme will make people lazy. The issue was even discussed during the assembly,” he said.
Stating on the social and economic inequality in the society and the caste system, the chief minister said caste system can be eradicated only when there is social and economic equality in the society.
“Buddha and Basava fought for casteless society. To eradicate caste system. Basavanna, around 850 years ago, initiated intercaste marriages. But caste system still exists in the country. Unless the society becomes active and there is social and economic development among the people, caste system can’t be removed from the society. Due to caste system, the social inequality was created in the society. Social and economic power and education can eradicate caste system,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said the five guarantee schemes were planned three months before the assembly elections.