BJP Leaders Attempted To Siege CM Siddaramaiah’s Office in Bengaluru

At the same time as the Congress government is protesting in Delhi against the injustice done to the state by the Centre, the BJP has protested against the state government in Bengaluru today. The party called Congress’ Jantar Mantar protest a ‘political drama’. Over the state government’s claim of discrimination, the BJP state unit of Karnataka asked CM Siddaramaiah to release a white paper detailing the state’s finances and allocations received from the Union Government. The Congress government in the state has completely failed in drought management. The government is not responding to farmers' problems. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra demanded immediate drought relief measures. BJP MLAs, Council members led by Vijayendra staged a dharna near the Gandhi statue in Vidhan Soudha premises in Bengaluru.

In this sit-in, former chief minister Basavaraja Bommai, opposition leaders R.Ashoka, all BJP MLAs including Kota Srinivasapujari were present and condemned the Congress government's failure to manage the drought in the state. The state government has failed in drought management. No compensation was given. MLAs raised slogans against the state government by displaying placards saying that no subsidy has been given to the milk producers, contempt for the Congress government. The state government has not accelerated drought relief programmes. The protesting MLAs complained that they are not responding to the problem of drinking water. The Congress government of the state is against the farmers. The protesting MLAs have announced that they have not given relief to the farmers who are suffering from drought.Most of the members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council of BJP participated in today's protest.When the BJP legislators who staged a dharna near the Gandhi statue in the Vidhansouda were about to besiege the chief minister's office in the Vidhan Souda, the protesters were taken into custody by the police. After protesting near the Gandhi statue, the BJP MLAs led by BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra went to lay siege to the Chief Minister's office, but the police detained them and later released them. He complained that it was Siddaramaiah who did injustice to the state. Finance Commission is not related to Central Govt. The commission will visit all the states and consider poverty, population and per capita income. The Siddaramaiah government was there when the 15th Finance Commission visited the state. Then that government failed to tell the real situation of the state. Due to this, the tax share is reduced. He blamed Siddaramaiah for this.

Congress's drama: Basavaraj Bommai

Speaking at the BJP protest, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that there is no other government in the history of Karnataka that has made such a big drama. He criticized Siddaramaiah that after becoming the Chief Minister for the 2nd time, he is throwing his philosophy to public and fighting to retain the post of Chief Minister. Drought has come to the state. No compensation. No development works have started. What ethics are the Congress people protesting in Delhi? He lashed out saying that he should be ashamed. How much grant has been received in the state during the UPA period. Chief Minister should tell how much grant has been received during the NDA period. During the UPA period only Rs 82 thousand crores. But the grant came. 2.82 lakh crore to the state during Modi's tenure. 

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that Karnataka's Congress protest in New Delhi on February 7th is aimed at diverting people’s attention. The state congress government is struggling to implement the guarantee schemes due to funds shortage, he added. Joshi said that the ruling government of Karnataka due to its administration failures is simply blaming the Central government. Former CM BS Yediyurappa claimed the decline in Karnataka’s share to 3.6% in the 15th Finance Commission is directly due to the Siddaramaiah’s Congress government. BJP claimed that under Modi’s leadership, substantial allocations were made for the road, metro expansion, airport and highway development, and other welfare schemes. Funds received by Karnataka under PM Modi is over Rs. 2 lakh crores whereas during the UPA government, the state received Rs. 60k Crore. Former PM HD Deve Gowda criticized the guarantee schemes in the state and said, “The Congress government is spending money on unproductive works. The state government guarantee schemes are killing the state’s development and the schemes are temporary and for short-term gains. Karnataka’s Congress government wasn’t able to give jobs to youth also. They are going to have a big protest in New Delhi today. With this kind of expenditure, we are making so many guarantees unproductive,” he added.