Siddaramaiah challenges BJP’s claims and asserts Congress’s promises

PTI, May 20, 2024, 6:13 PM IST

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said a cabinet reshuffle is not on the cards. He also predicted that the Congress will get between 15 and 20 seats out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The chief minister also dismissed the BJP’s allegations that the five guarantees implemented by the state government would be discontinued after the elections.

”We are not thinking of any cabinet reshuffle after the Lok Sabha elections,” Siddaramaiah said during the ‘Meet the Press’ event organised by the Press Club of Bangalore. The Congress will go by the directions of the high command, he said.

Siddaramaiah predicted that the Congress would win a minimum 15 seats and maximum 20 seats out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, and ridiculed former chief minister and BJP leader B S Yediyurappa’s claim that the saffron party would win all 28 Lok Sabha seats.

Accusing the BJP of spreading lies that the five guarantees of the Congress government would be stopped after the election, the chief minister said the schemes will not be discontinued for any reason.

”For no reason we will discontinue any guarantee schemes. People have blessed us for five years. So long as their blessings are with us, these guarantees will not stop,” he said.

The chief minister also clarified that there is no dearth of funds for development funds in the state.

“The BJP is lying that the state’s treasury is empty due to the guarantees. Let them lie but it should be close to the truth. What they are talking is the height of lies,” Siddaramaiah said.

He said that BJP state chief B Y Vijayendra and the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka do not understand economics, due to which they are lying that the treasury is empty. Siddaramaiah also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly spreading lies about reservation for Muslims. “Modi is telling another lie that we will take away the reservation from the backward communities and give it to the Muslims. This is an outright lie,” he said. Citing Chinnappareddy Commission report, Siddaramaiah said Muslim reservation has been in place in the state for 30 years.

The BJP government headed by Basavaraj Bommai had also submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court and has agreed that it will not cancel the reservation for Muslims, he pointed out adding, ”Modi is going around telling lies in his speeches.” “We have not taken away anyone’s reservation. So what Modi is saying is an absolute lie,” he reiterated.

The chief minister also called out BJP’s allegation that the state government was taking away money from temples. “The BJP spread false propaganda that we are snatching money from temples. They are spreading slander by hiding the fact that we have come forward for the development of temples in rural areas,” he said.

On the caste census report, the chief minister said there was pressure not to accept the report. However, the government accepted it to uphold the value of social justice, equal share and equality for all.

Noting that the caste census, the socio-economic survey, is essential to identify the economically and socially weak, he said the report will not harm any community.

“Modi introduced EWS reservation for the economically backward. There is no caste or class in the entire country that does not get the benefit of reservation. This is the reason why Congress has announced that if it comes to power at the Centre, it will conduct a national caste census. What is wrong in this?” he asked.

On the law and order front, the chief minister said the murder of two girls Neha HIremath and Anjali Ambigera in Hubballi, which triggered public outrage, was highly condemnable.

While a special court has been set up for speedy trial of the accused in the Neha murder case, two Deputy Commissioners of Police, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and an inspector have been suspended in connection with the crimes.