Siddaramaiah lambasts BJP

Cong holds convention to create awareness on failure of State govt

Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah alleged that the State government has not spent a single pie from the treasury, to tackle drought in 123 taluks of Karnataka.

Speaking at a convention organised to create awareness on the failure of the state government organised by the District Congress Committee (DCC) here on Saturday, he said that the funds that have been used in drought-hit taluks are from the aid given by the Centre which includes CRF fund and MGNREGS fund.

The residents are struggling for drinking water. The BJP government which talks of protection of cows, is not being able to provide fodder for the cattle in drought-hit areas,” he ridiculed.

Having unable to get fodder, the farmers in the drought-hit taluks have started selling the cattle at throw away prices and have started migrating to cities in search of employment. The drought condition is worsening day-by-day.

The government is not serious of tackling the drought situation, he alleged.

He said the BJP can not bring in change in the State. To change the work culture and to conserve the resources of the state, there is a need to root out the BJP government. There is a need to protect democracy and values in politics.

“Corruption has become a tradition for the BJP. From Chief Minister to other ministers, all are facing charges of corruption. It was the BJP which laid the foundation for purchasing MLAs in the State. To save his power, Yeddyurappa had also indulged in nepotism, denotification of land, illegal mining and corruption.

As per the Lokayukta report, about Rs 1,00,000 crore has been looted in the form of illegal mining in Bellary. As many as 13 ministers in Yeddyurappa’s government had resigned following the outbreak of various scams.

The ministers were not only facing corruption charges, but also were engaged in immoral activities. In fact, the State government did not appoint a Lokayukta, fearing that few more ministers and MLAs will land in jail, if a new Lokayukta is appointed,” he charged.

Criticising the BJP led State government, he said that in the last four years, not even a single mega watt of power had been generated as against the promise made by the government in its election manifesto.

About 30 lakh BPL cards have been cancelled by the BJP government. As a result, poor people in the State are not getting the facilities.
About 12 lakh social security pensions have been discontinued, thereby leaving several elderly citizens in misery, he said.

Opposition leader in the Council S R Patil said that the borewells in the drought prone taluks have become defunct and the State government has failed to open fodder bank to supply fodder.

“District-in-Charge Minister of Bagalkote and Bijapur have failed to visit the drought-hit villages and have not conducted any review meeting after the State government declared the districts as drought-hit.”

Defending of saffronisation of education by the State BJP president K S Eshwarappa is anti-constitutional. The saffronisation of education is against the principles of the constitution, he added.

Council former chairman V R Sudarshan, former union minister Janardhan Poojary, DCC President Ramanath Rai and others were present.