MP wants white paper on State Govt's funds to twin cities

Charging that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no morality to visit Hubballi and inaugurate different works and facilities here, MP Pralhad Joshi asked the chief minister to bring out a white paper on the funds provided by the State Government for the development of the twin cities in the last four-and-a-half years.

"The chief minister is telling lies to cheat people, and is now coming to Hubballi on December 24, as part of his Yatra, to inaugurate works which were not taken up by the Congress government. We are ready to give details of the projects and funds sanctioned by the Union Government, and I challenge the State Government to disclose the details of funds it provided to Hubballi-Dharwad," he said.

Speaking to media persons here on Monday, after launching a publicity campaign for the BJP's Parivartana Rally to be held in Hubballi on December 21, Mr Joshi urged the State Government to immediately pass an order to release Rs 120 crore pending pension grants to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) as special grants, and to provide pension grants henceforth.

Congress leaders are claiming credit even for Centrally-sponsored schemes. Though there will be cost sharing, it is the Centre which introduced projects like Smart City and AMRUT. If Central Road Fund (CRF) is also the money from the State, why so much amount was not provided when UPA was in power at the Centre, he asked.

'CM curbing rights'

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is an anti-Hindu, and he is following the West Bengal and Kerala model of physically eliminating the opposition members. BJP members are being arrested and tortured, and are not being allowed to take rallies in Uttara Kannada district. Do not we have the right to oppose the killing of BJP and Sangh Parivar members, and to conduct legal political activity in a democracy, Mr Joshi asked.

Even BJP leaders' phones are being tapped, and police are torturing BJP workers, he charged.

Mr Siddaramaiah is dividing the society with regard to the issue of independent religion status demand for the Lingayat. Lingayats are a politically mature community, and they would not fall prey to this conspiracy, he opined.

When asked about the recent stand of slain BJP leader Yogishgouda Goudar's wife Mallamma, he said, "something else is behind this and the truth will come to fore one day".  

Earlier, MP Pralhad Joshi and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar launched the publicity campaign for Parivartana Yatra, by pasting posters on autorickshaws.

Mayor D K Chavan, Deputy Mayor Laxmibai Bijwad, BJP leaders M Nagaraj, Mahesh Tenginkai, and others were present.