Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Credit: DH Photo
Shivamogga: Criticising BJP MPs from Karnataka for not urging the Centre to release adequate grants to the state, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Centre has always shown a “step-motherly” attitude towards Karnataka. But none of the BJP MPs or Central ministers from the state have raised their voices so far.
“It is like they are just MPs and are not taken seriously by BJP’s central leaders,” he taunted.
Responding to media queries on the state’s expectations from the Union Budget to be presented on February 1, Shivakumar said, “Earlier, the Centre had announced a grant of Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project in the Budget. But so far, it has not been released.”
Reacting to BJP’s poster campaign alleging corruption by Congress leaders and demanding the resignation of Excise Minister RB Thimmapura, he said, “We have also exposed a lot of BJP’s scams. There are many allegations against the previous government, including Covid-19. We will expose them.”
He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had raised the issue of the VB-G RAM G Act in the House and questioned why it should be repealed. “In the current situation, it cannot be implemented in any state,” he said.
To a question on whether the government would provide compensation to those who died of KFD (monkey fever) in the Malnad region, Shivakumar said, “I will check it and inform you about it.”