Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrives for the Sadhana Samavesha in Mysuru. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar are seen.
Credit: DH Photo/Anup Ragh T
Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'replicating the Karnataka model of guarantees' to win elections in various other states after ridiculing and criticising the five guarantees, implemented by the Congress.
The Congress veteran was speaking during the Sadhana Samavesha, a mega convention, held to launch 74 works of 24 state government departments worth a total of Rs 2,578.03 crore on Maharaja's College Grounds in Mysuru.
He laid foundation stone for 56 works worth Rs 2,297.88 crore and inaugurated 18 works worth Rs 280.15 crore on the occasion.
Development projects
Siddaramaiah once again asserted that there is no problem with the finances of the Karnataka State government, citing that thousands of crores of rupees is being earmarked for development projects across the state, including Mysuru.
He said, “The leaders of the BJP and JD(S) should have been at the event, as it is not a party event, to know the truth about the development works taken up. I challenge them to debate the issue on the same dais. This is not a show of strength of the government or the party, but a show of strength of development works”.
BJP jealous?
Siddaramaiah said, the BJP and JD(S) leaders are jealous of our success. “The BJP has not won the people’s mandate, so far. It has come to power only by deceit, Operation Kamala. The JD(S) is diminishing election after election. When I was JD(S) state president, in the 2004 election, it won 59 Assembly segments. In 2023, it drastically reduced to 18. Fearing that its MLAs would abandon the party, its leaders aligned with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. Yet, the JD(S) won only two segments. However, the Congress improved its tally significantly - from just one segment in 2019 to nine in 2024,” he said.
Siddaramaiah raised the issue of tax devolution again and said, “We pay Rs 4.5 lakh crore in taxes, while we get just Rs 65,000 crore from the Centre – just Rs 15 for every Rs 100. The BJP MPs are not bothered about this. They have no courage to even stand before Modi. How can we expect them to seek our rightful share? Modi is cheating Kannadigas”.
Guarantee schemes
He said, the BJP is anti-poor, while the Congress has implemented its guarantee schemes for all poor - irrespective of faith, caste or party. “Even BJP and JD(S) voters are benefitted. The schemes are meant to empower the poor and to reduce inequalities. No guarantee scheme will be stopped. The Congress government will continue to work for the welfare of the people,” Siddaramaiah said.
“The BJP leaders have been spreading a lie that the Congress defeated B R Ambedkar in an election. But, I had even explained on the floor of the Assembly that there is a letter of Ambedkar, which states that V D Savarkar, leader of Hindu Mahasabha, caused his defeat. The RSS and the BJP are against the Constitution, compiled by Ambedkar, and have been repeating that they will change the Constitution. But, the people and the Congress will not allow it to change,” Siddaramaiah said.
AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Madevappa, Sericulture Minister K Venkatesh and MLA K Harish Gowda were also present at the event.