JOIN USBJP claiming credit for Cong's efforts, says Siddaramaiah on title-deeds for Thanda residents
In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Karnataka's Kalaburagi on Thursday for the distribution of title-deeds of houses to the residents of Lambani Thanda, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah charged that the BJP is trying to project that it converted Lambani Thanda into revenue villages while "actually it did nothing".
Modi's act of distributing title-deeds is only to get political benefit ahead of Assembly polls, he said.
"Mallikarjun Kharge made efforts to convert Thanda into revenue village in 1990s itself. When Kagodu Thimmapppa was the Revenue Minister in our government, amendments were brought to Forest Act and Land Reforms Act for this purpose. We made all the preparations to convert Thanda into revenue village, but the BJP government did nothing in last three-and-a-half years," he said.
"We cooked, and they are eating. After we did everything, they are now projecting that they did everything," he said.
"Congress government started celebrating Sevalal Jayanti. We gave Rs 450 crore to Thanda Development Corporation, and Rs 130 crore for Suragondanakoppa (birthplace of Sevalal Maharaj). Not even Rs 70 crore was given to Thanda Development Corporation in last four years," Siddaramaiah said.
"We brought SCPTSP Act, and budgetary allocation for it was Rs 30,000 crore in 2018. It has come down to Rs 27,000 crore this year, which means the BJP government is diverting those funds," he added.
Terming the BJP as a "factory that manufactures lies", Siddaramaiah said the BJP believes in Goebbels' theory. "They are trying to sell lies through Modi, projecting now that they are concerned about Lambani community," he said.
"BJP leaders are afraid of me, as I criticise the RSS and tell the truth. We have respect for the Prime Minister, but we are not afraid of him as a BJP leader," Siddaramaiah said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar said Modi was coming to give "chocolate" as elections are nearing.
"He did not come when people were in trouble due to floods. It will be better if he speaks about his action plan for employment of youth, why farmers' income not doubled, why cooking gas price not reduced, why ministers concerned were not made responsible in PSI scam, about rampant corruption, and about remarks by Yatnal and Nirani," Shivakumar said.
"This government is of mere assurances and of B reports. Modi said 'Na Khawunga, Na Khanedunga' but these people are 'eating'," Shivakumar added.