BJP, JD(S) against social justice, reservation: Siddaramaiah

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the BJP and the JD(S) are anti-social justice and reservation. He also questioned the parties’ contribution towards strengthening the local bodies.

In a press conference, the former chief minister said that Congress is the only party that is in favour of social justice and reservation.

“The Congress proved the party’s commitment to social justice by fielding candidates from SC, ST, OBC, minorities and women for MLC elections to the local body constituencies,” he said, adding that either the BJP or the JD(S) have not committed to ensuring social justice.

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Siddaramaiah said the BJP had opposed the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Indian Constitution, which gave reservation and made election mandatory for local bodies once in five years. However, the then BJP MP Rama Jois had challenged the amendments in the Supreme Court, which had rejected the application.

He said the BJP government has violated the 73rd and 74th amendments by postponing elections to the Zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats. The local bodies have no elected representatives, he said.

Siddaramaiah said the BJP has failed to strengthen the local bodies.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister for six years and Narendra Modi is in the office from 2014, but what are their contributions towards the local bodies?”, he asked.

False statements

“Whether the local bodies were given more funds or more power?” he asked and called upon the people of the state to understand the facts. Siddaramaiah also charged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with making false statements that the Anna Bhagya scheme was a national programme and not of the Congress government.

“If it was a national programme, then why Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other states were not distributing free rice. Karnataka is the only state that had introduced the scheme for the welfare of the poor,” he said.

Claiming that the BJP is anti-poor, Siddaramaiah said, none of the poor became wealthy but Gautam Adani, the founder and chairman of Adani Group, emerged as the richest person in Asia during Modi’s period.

He said Contractors’ Association president Kempanna has levelled 40% kickback allegation and has also written to Modi.

What happened to Prime Minister Modi’s pledge, “Na khaunga, na khane dunga” (Neither will I indulge in corruption nor will I allow it), he questioned.

Former minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president R Dhruvanarayan and Congress candidate for MLC polls Dr D Thimmaiah were present.

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