‘PM’s charges against me, my govt are a bundle of lies’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

PTI, Nov 6, 2023, 4:13 PM IST

Rejecting Narendra Modi’s charges against him and his government as a ”bundle of lies”, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he did not expect such talk from the Prime Minister, and sought evidence on the allegations made.

Addressing a public meeting at Khandwa in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Modi on Sunday claimed the Congress had damaged Karnataka and that development had come to a standstill in the state. He also raised doubts about Karnataka’s chief minister continuing at the helm.

Accusing the grand old party of indulging in corruption, infighting and ruining the states where it forms governments, Modi had claimed, ”Wherever the Congress government is formed by mistake, a competition to loot the state between its chief minister and his deputy is taking place, and such news is coming regularly from Karnataka.” Hitting back at Modi, Siddaramaiah termed the Prime Minister’s statement a ”political and election speech full of lies”.

”It is totally a bundle of lies. He (PM) is disappointed after losing (in Karnataka Assembly elections in May). He came to the state 48 times, but wherever he went for campaigning, did roadshows and addressed rallies, they (BJP) lost. That’s the reason they have not appointed a leader of opposition (in the assembly) till today,” he said.

Responding to a question on PM alleging loot by the Congress leaders, the CM threw the issue back at the BJP, asking which party government was in power when 40 per cent commission loot happened in Karnataka? ”We are getting it investigated… Narendra Modi as Prime Minister has to speak about it right?” he said.

Stating that Modi could make the allegations with evidence or documents, Siddaramaiah said being a Prime Minister, he should not be speaking lies or speak lightly.

”If there is any evidence or documents — they have IB, RAW, CBI, intelligence — let them say,” he added.

”I never expected a statement like this from the Prime Minister of a country. It does not befit him,” he said, noting that Modi has made this ”political speech and election speech” in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

Further claiming that the country is ”economically bankrupt”, the chief minister accused the central government of ”step motherly attitude” towards Karnataka, and said they are unable to disburse what the state is due.

”The Central government has not been able to release drought relief funds yet,” he said.

Pointing out that the PM had said that the five ‘guarantee schemes’ — pre-poll promises of the Congress — cannot be implemented, Siddaramaiah said the state’s Congress government has implemented the schemes and ”shown it” can be done.