JOIN USCM draws flak from partymen for 'mishandling' issues
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday came under criticism from a section of senior Congress leaders for creating controversies and mishandling politically sensitive issues, including the move to ban areca nut in the State.
At a meeting of KPCC executive committee held under the chairmanship of State party chief G Parameshwara, senior partymen are learnt to have taken exception to the lax attitude of the government in handling the areca issue. The BJP, as a result, is taking advantage of it politically and spreading canards against the Congress in the areca nut-growing region, the leaders stated.
The Congress has regained people’s support in the Malnad region after much difficulty. The issue of banning the cultivation of areca nut would do a major damage to the party in the coming Lok Sabha polls if immediate steps are not taken. The State government should swing into action, clarify on such issues and prevent the damage to the party, the leaders said.
Though the government has introduced several popular schemes, it has not been able to publicise them properly and gain mileage. Instead, controversies are cropping up one after another. The controversy over the move to enact legislation banning superstitious activities too has caused damage to the party, they added.
It is said that former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary and former MLC B L Shankar are among those who raised the areca nut issue.
‘No ban proposal’
Siddaramaiah is learnt to have assured the meeting that he will personally issue clarifications on all the issues, to the media. So was the reason he made it a point to address the media after the meeting. “There is no proposal either before the State or the Centre to ban areca nut cultivation. Even the CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute) has opined that it is not harmful for health. The BJP is creating confusion among people,” he charged.
It was also suggested by many members that the issue of misuse of a plot in Bellary by the party leader K C Kondaiah should not be dragged, in view of the Lok Sabha polls.
The KPCC chief should hold talks with Kondaiah and convince him to hand over the site to the party.
Many leaders are learnt to have indulged in a heated argument with Housing Minister Ambareesh on the issue of delay in allotment of KHB sites. The chief minister is said to have intervened and assured that he would personally monitor all projects in the KHB.
No extravaganza
Briefing reporters on the decisions taken in the meeting, Parameshwara said a resolution had been passed that no party leader or worker should indulge in any extravagant activities as per the decision taken in the Jaipur conclave of the party held in January this year.
It is learnt that former Speaker and MLA Ramesh Kumar suggested that the party legislators should not indulge in extravagant programmes, including organising birthday bashes and grandscale marriages.