Fulfilled all promises, ready for debate with BJP: Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday challenged BJP leaders to a debate on what the Union government had achieved in three years in office and he was ready for a similar debate on the four-year Congress rule in Karnataka.

Addressing a convention of Congress party workers at Athani town in Belagavi district, Siddaramaiah insisted that he had fulfilled all the promises he had made to people and that he worked for their welfare. Social justice has been ensured for farmers, labourers, youth and the poor, he said.

Siddaramaiah wondered what happened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pre-poll promises — creation of two crore jobs per year, bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks and depositing Rs 15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account. “All these promises have remained on paper. Modi has been involved in theatrics, while we believe in fulfilling the promises,” he affirmed.

He accused the BJP of indulging in “divisive politics” and said Modi’s motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ excluded Muslims. BJP parliamentarian from Uttara Kannada, Anant Kumar Hegde, may say that the party does not require Muslim votes but how can they be kept out of the development pie, he asked.

Taking on BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah said the former’s recent visits to Dalit homes were aimed at the upcoming Assembly elections. When (Yeddyurappa) was the chief minister, he didn’t formulate any programmes for the welfare of Dalits, he said.

The chief minister said the state government had waived Rs 8,765 crore worth of farm loans — the  highest ever — and dared BJP leaders to get agricultural loans waived by nationalised banks which come under the union government.

Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that the people of Karnataka would re-elect a Congress government in 2019 as the party had fulfilled all the promises it had made in the manifesto. At the Centre, too, the Congress will come back to power in 2019 and Rahul Gandhi will become the prime minister, he said.