Criticizing software industry icon N.R. Narayana Murthy for opposing “freebies”, Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa sought to know why the co-founder of Infosys did not question Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the loans of a few industrialists were waived.
Interacting with reporters in Mysuru on Friday, Mr. Mahadevappa, who is also the Minister in charge of Mysuru district, said he does not know the context in which Mr. Murthy had disapproved of the freebies provided by the government, but the Constitution was in favour of uplifting the downtrodden.
The Constitution of India stood for the uplift of the downtrodden and ensuring social justice. “I don’t know in what context Mr. Narayana Murthy had made the statement. But, it is against social justice, against equity, and alienation of poverty,” he said.
The guarantee schemes provided by the State government were helping a total of 1.32 crore families move towards self-reliance, he said.
Questioning Mr. Murthy silence when the loans of a few industrialists were waived, Mr. Mahadevappa said the Infosys co-founder could have questioned Mr. Modi and asked for the money to be used for the country’s development, and agriculture or given it to the poor to remove poverty. “Had Mr. Murthy said so, we could have complimented him and said he was in favour of the Constitution’s aspirations”, he said.
“Though I have nothing against Mr. Murthy, his stand against giving any benefits to the poor is highly condemnable. It is against the true spirit of the Indian Constitution”, Mr. Mahadevappa said.
The Constitution says the country’s resources should be shared by everybody including the poor, Dalits, minorities, and women, who have remained downtrodden for centuries.
To a question, Mr. Mahadevappa said government will not stop implementing the guarantee schemes just because of such statements.
Reacting to exit polls of the five States, where assembly elections were held recently, Mr. Mahadevappa said the Congress appears poised to come to power in most States. “Even though the results of Assembly elections are not a referendum, they can be a trend-setter for the 2024 elections to the Lok Sabha,” he said.
The people are fed up with 10 years of BJP rule in which the party indulged only in publicity and false assurances. “No changes were brought on the ground”, he said while accusing the BJP regime of selling public sector undertakings, and carrying out demonetisation, besides pandering to emotional issues.
Violence against the Dalits and the devaluation of rupee continued. “One cannot rule based on religion and caste for long,” he said.
