Bengaluru, June 25 Referring to Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara's remark that the Siddaramaiah government has no money, BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said that he congratulates the leader for speaking the truth.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Bommai pointed out that Parameshwara publicly said during a speech that the Chief Minister has no funds.
"Now, Parameshwara claims he said it in jest, but even as a joke, he has revealed the truth. I appreciate that," Bommai added.
The state government is corrupt and functioning without any direction, Bommai alleged.
When asked about Congress MLAs themselves raising allegations against their government, Bommai responded, "It's been two and a half years since the Congress came to power, and even now MLAs have not received any grants. They are unable to get any work done."
"If this continues, they won't be able to face the people in the next two and a half years. The government has no funds, and there is corruption at every level - for every single task, for every estimate, even to get a work order," he stated.
Bommai further said, “Due to the Congress’s misgovernance, people are being forced to give their hard-earned money to corrupt officials. The cost of smart meters, which was earlier around Rs 500–Rs 600, has now been hiked to Rs 6,000–Rs 7,000."
"The Congress government has not paid Rs 750 crore due in incentives to dairy farmers. Instead, they told milk unions to raise prices, thereby burdening the public," he slammed.
"They increased the excise tax on cheap liquor consumed by the poor. Excise dealers protested. So did PWD contractors and electricity contractors. Still, the government didn't budge," he pointed out.
Referring to Law Minister H. K. Patil's recent letter to the Chief Minister regarding illegal mining, Bommai said, "H.K. Patil is a minister in Siddaramaiah's cabinet - he could have spoken to him directly. Or was the CM not willing to listen? Why did he write a public letter like the opposition would?"
On the question of launching a movement against the state government, Bommai said the BJP will hold meetings, identify region-specific issues, and organise protests accordingly.
When asked about former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's active role these days, he responded, "Yediyurappa is a senior leader in our party. Whenever he participates in protests, it boosts our morale. He is a towering leader - whenever he has toured the state, the party has come to power. Now, he has voluntarily come forward to strengthen the party. His involvement will energise us."
Responding to Home Minister Parameshwara's remark that the BJP is looking backwards instead of forward on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Bommai said, "Parameshwara speaks based on what suits his interests. When it's about Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge, he recalls past events.
Parameshwara argues like a convenience-based politician. The Emergency was a massive blow to democracy. Had it succeeded, neither we nor Parameshwara would be in public life today. The Congress must accept that it was a grave mistake,” he stated.
Amid the growing embarrassment for the Congress government in Karnataka following statements made by its senior MLAs, Parameshwara, on Tuesday, stirred a fresh controversy by stating that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no money left as everything has already been given to the people in the form of ration.
The remark has triggered a statewide debate over the sustainability and impact of the state government's guarantee schemes.
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