Karnataka BJP protests against Cong govt; Yediyurappa and party leaders to travel across the state

PTI, Sep 8, 2023, 8:13 PM IST

Calling the Congress government in Karnataka ”corrupt and anti-people”, veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa on Friday announced a state-wide agitation, as part of which he along with party leaders will travel across the state.

The former chief minister accused the Congress government of failing the farmers during drought and in protecting the state’s interest with regard to the release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, despite facing water scarcity.

He said this at a meeting held here to protest against the Congress administration led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

”Our fight against this anti-farmer government has begun from today. We waited for the past hundred days expecting some improvement in the administration, but they have indulged in corruption and completely forgotten public good,” Yediyurappa said. State-wide protests were launched today at all district and taluk centres, he added.

Addressing the meeting, he said that on September 16 he along with other leaders will begin a tour programme from Kurudumale in the Kolar district and go on to visit every district in the state.

”This corrupt government has lost all moral right to continue in power. It is an anti-people and anti-farmer government,” he said, highlighting issues such as shortage of power supply to farmers’ pumpsets and stalled irrigation and development projects. Former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai, Sadananda Gowda, and former ministers Govind Karjol, R Ashok, and C N Ashwath Narayan also took part in the protest.

Alleging that the state government has failed to make the Cauvery Water Management Authority understand the drought-like situation caused by lack of rains in the Cauvery basin area, Yediyurappa hit out at it for releasing river water to Tamil Nadu. ”We will intensify our Cauvery agitation and stand with the farmers of the state,” the senior leader, who is also a BJP parliamentary board member, added.

Despite 180-190 taluks being drought hit and facing a shortage of fodder and water for livestock, and clean drinking water for people, the government is delaying declaring drought, Yediyurappa claimed, calling it condemnable.

He said the government, while claiming to fulfil the ‘guarantee’ schemes for the benefit of the people, is also increasing prices or tariffs of essential things like electricity. BJP will fight this government across the state, as it is ”playing with the lives of the people.” ”The BJP will protest against this government until it loses power and goes home,” the former CM declared.

Bommai alleged that the Congress government came to power by betraying people in the name of guarantees, and is indulging in scams. Corruption has been rampant in the three months of Congress government, he claimed, adding that the posts of officers are being auctioned. Congress leaders themselves are saying that there is a ”transfer racket” going on in Vidhana Soudha and Kumarakrupa (government guest house), he claimed.

Later in the day, a delegation of BJP leaders led by Bommai visited the Krishna Raja Sagara dam (across the Cauvery river) in Mandya district and inspected the ground situation there.