Gowda to PM: Reddy may have spent black money on wedding

JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda has criticised the state BJP leaders for attending the lavish wedding of mine owner G Janardhana Reddy’s daughter and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the talk as far as black money issue was concerned.

In a three-page letter to the prime minister, he said common man had reposed faith in the Centre’s decision to demonitise high-value currency notes under the impression that it will curb black money.

But they are disheartened with the BJP leaders attending the wedding held in Bengaluru recently. Spending for the wedding could have come from black money as the enforcement agencies had confiscated all assets of Reddy, he added.

“In the national interest, all of us may sacrifice and heed your call, but your colleagues in Karnataka paint a different picture. This makes it impossible for people to continue to trust. The trust people are reposing facing great hardship will stand destroyed if you don’t show that you are ready to walk the talk (sic),” he said.

Besides, Gowda urged the prime minister to allow district central cooperative (DCC) banks to accept deposits from farmers as per guidelines of the demonitisation scheme.

Farmers who have taken farm loans will not be eligible for interest subsidy if they fail to repay loans within the due dates. Dairy farmers will not be able to receive payments as the milk cooperative societies could not deposit money in the DCC banks, he added.