Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s moral right to seek votes from the people of Karnataka for the Lok Sabha elections without releasing Central aid for drought relief.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on April 2, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Shah chairs the high-power committee that approves drought relief to States, but has not released a single rupee of Central assistance for Karnataka, which is reeling under drought.
“What moral right does he have to seek votes in Karnataka?” the Chief Minister said. JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy should have at least informed the Union Home Minister to release the drought relief compensation to the people of Karnataka before visiting the State, he added.
The State Government has submitted three memorandums seeking Central assistance for drought since October 2023. A Central team visited the State for inspection and submitted a report while he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 19 and Mr. Shah on December 20.
Though Amit Shah was to preside over a meeting of the high-power committee to decide on the release of Central aid, not a single rupee has been released so far. Claiming that Central aid was not due to Karnataka from Amit Shah’s pockets, but from the money paid by the taxpayers of Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah resented that the demand for Karnataka’s dues from the Centre is not taken kindly even by JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Accusing Mr. Kumaraswamy of behaving as a ‘spokesperson’ of the BJP, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the refusal of Central assistance to Karnataka amounts to ‘injustice’ to seven crore people of the State.
Mr. Siddaramaiah even cited Centre’s refusal to accord permission for Mekedatu project or issue environmental clearance for Mahadayi project,, besides failure to provide the promised ₹5,200 crore for the Upper Bhadra project, as examples of indifference to the people of Karnataka.
Claiming that people of the State are intelligent to understand the ‘injustice’ caused to them by the BJP government at the Centre, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress party is seeking votes on the basis of the work its government had done in the State. The BJP’s claims are full of lies, he said expressing confidence that the people of the State will bless the Congress party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
EC notice to former MLA of Varuna
To a question on the notice issued by the Election Commission on former MLA Yathindra’s remarks against Amit Shah, Mr Siddaramaiah said the statement was based on the CBI’s report submitted to a court. A reply to the Election Commission’s notice has been given, he said.
