'Do you harbour hatred for Karnataka': Siddaramaiah challenges Shah to public debate on guarantee schemes

Countering Shah's claims that the state government's treasury is empty because of the guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah said, 'I can prove that our treasury is not empty because of the guarantee schemes, and instead, there is an unfair distribution of taxes from the Centre to the state. This is also a challenge to Amit Shah.'

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday dared Union Home minister Amit Shah to participate in a public debate with him on the implementation of Congress party’s guarantee schemes in the state.

After his meeting with farmer leaders ahead of his record 15th budget to be presented on February 16, here, Siddaramaiah said that the home minister had been criticising the guarantee schemes and accusing the state government of derailing state finances.  

“If this is Shah’s firm opinion, he should participate in a public debate with me. I can prove that our treasury is not empty because of the guarantee schemes. Instead, there is an unfair distribution of taxes from the Centre to the state. This is also a challenge to Shah,” he shot back.

The CM alleged that from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Shah and local BJP leaders, their real opposition is not to the guarantee schemes but to the beneficiaries of these schemes, the poor. 

“There is a history of BJP and the Sangh Parivar opposing programmes intended for the poor. Even when the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called for ‘Garibi Hatao’ (eradication of poverty), the same RSS-BJP opposed it. They have always opposed social justice programmes including land reforms and reservations. The poor should give a fitting reply to this,” he asserted.

Taking potshots at the Union government’s Bharat Brand rice, Siddaramaiah alleged that the central government, which had refused to provide rice at Rs 33 per kilo when the state had asked, is now selling it at Rs 29 per kilo.

“In summary, the BJP has intolerance towards the poor, farmers, women, and workers of Karnataka,” he alleged.

He further alleged that Shah, who speaks against our guarantee schemes, shows disdain for Kannadigas by opposing the Kannada flag, makes constant attempts to impose Hindi on us, and through the conspiracy to favour Amul over Nandini. 

Mocking at the BJP’s election slogan - Modi ki guarantee - Siddaramaiah said that both BJP and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who are opposed to the Congress party’s guarantee schemes, have stolen not only our guarantee schemes but also the name ‘guarantee’, and are advertising under the same name.

“This shows their double standards and their anti-poor stance and intellectual bankruptcy of that party,” he slammed.