Dinesh Gundu Rao asks Yediyurappa to step down as CM

KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao has demanded Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to step down from the top post if he can't address the woes of people of flood-affected areas.

Speaking to media persons, here on Monday, after visiting flood-affected areas in the city, he said the one-man government has failed to safeguard the interests of people of flood-affected areas. The worse is the Centre has not released single rupee towards flood relief works to the state so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who uses twitter extensively to convey the message to people of the country, has remained silent on flood damage in the Southern States including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala. Modi is behaving like an inhuman prime minister and he lacks commitment.

Those who speak against him would be labelled as anti-Hindu and traitor. It is unfortunate that 50% of districts in the state are affected by the flood. Public, private properties are washed away in floodwater and people have died. But Modi did not even express condolence in this regard. This is really shocking, Congress leader added.

Slamming the chief minister, he said though the state is devastated by flood, the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has not convened all-party meeting yet. The BJP leader could have taken out the delegation of leaders of all the three parties to New Delhi to urge the Centre to release funds towards flood relief works.

But the chief minister has not done it yet. The State government must urge the Centre to release Rs 5,000 crore as interim relief to Karnataka immediately to up flood relief works. If not, BS Yediyurappa must resign as chief minister, Congress leader urged.

Referring to the absence of ministers, he said the absence of district in-charge ministers is affecting flood relief works. However, some deputy commissioners are discharging their duties promptly. "I don't blame them. But the presence of the district in-charge minister would have made a huge difference in flood relief works."

Recalling the past, he said the then prime minister Manmohan Singh had visited flood-affected areas in Karnataka in 2009 and had released more than Rs 2,000 crore towards flood relief works. But Modi-led government in the Centre has failed to release funds to Karnataka, he alleged.

Mocking the visit of union ministers, he said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited flood-affected areas in some parts of the state. But they failed to make an announcement in this regard.

When questioned on phone tapping cases handed over to CBI, he said "we have no objection to it. But it conveys a wrong message that state police are not capable of handling such a small case."