Edited excerpts:
Adityanath is talking about law and order
Responding to Yogi Adityanath’s recent claim that there have been no riots in Uttar Pradesh due to good law and order, which in turn has led to progress, Siddaramaiah questioned whether the UP chief minister has a duty to talk about the issue. It was a moral right. “I have to laugh at this. There is no law and order in UP and Bihar. After Adityanath became chief minister, the son of the minister responsible for the death of six farmers got a free hand. Can he say that law and order is good?” No reforms have been done. Even today people call it Jungle Raj,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Siddharmahundi crusader also accused the BJP of taking paid crowds to attend his rallies. “Wherever I go, 15,000-20,000 people are gathering. At the constituency headquarters, a crowd of 20,000 is a huge crowd. People are coming voluntarily. BJP is bringing them by giving them money, it is not so in our case. I think the people of Karnataka have decided to vote for the Congress and bring the party back with a comfortable majority,” said the former chief minister.
‘All sections of society need adequate representation’
Siddaramaiah lashed out at the Basavaraj Bommai government’s recent decision to rework the reservation matrix in the state and promised to increase it to 75 per cent, calling it a political gimmick.
“We are going to amend the Constitution and we will request the Center to include it in the Ninth Schedule. The Tamil Nadu government has increased the reservation from 50 per cent to 69 per cent. This is applicable. So why not in Karnataka? There are demands from backward communities, Lingayats, Vokkaligas, SCs/STs and minorities. We have to give adequate representation to all sections of the society,” said Siddaramaiah, who has been portrayed as a leader of SC/ST and minorities.
on muslim reservation
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah justified the Karnataka government’s move to scrap 4 per cent reservation for Muslims, terming religious reservation as unconstitutional and illegal, Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP, accusing it of promoting politics of hatred. Attacked.
“Chinappa Reddy has given a report. Has it been challenged in court? It is applicable since 1995. There is reservation for Muslims since almost 28 years. Has anyone gone to court? In the absence of all these things, is it not politics of hatred against minorities? If you think that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion, then you should have challenged it in the court. Why didn’t you challenge it in court? Now the court said that it is unethical, unconstitutional – this is the observation made by the Supreme Court. BJP people are never committed to social justice, they are against social justice and reservation, argued Siddaramaiah.
‘No talk on power sharing with DKS’
Responding to the most controversial issue of who will be the chief minister if the Congress comes to power, Siddaramaiah argued that the newly elected legislators would decide and the high command would finalize the name based on the opinion of the legislators. “We will go through a democratic process. The elected legislators have to choose the leader of the legislature party. After that, the high command has to take a decision on the basis of the opinion of the newly elected MLAs.
He also ruled out possible power-sharing with DK Shivakumar as chief minister during his five-year term. “It has not been discussed, we will leave it to the newly elected MLAs,” he said.
On the election promises of Congress, the impact on the exchequer
The man who presented a record 13 budgets in Karnataka argued that he was aware of the state’s fiscal position and that it could finance the poll promises of the Congress.
“I have presented 13 budgets and I know the financial condition of the state. We have discussed in detail what programs can be implemented and how much money is required. It is possible for the state to enforce those five guarantees. For example, we were giving 7 kg rice per person free but BJP has reduced it to 5 kg. When we were able to give 7 kg rice to the poor then why not give 10 kg rice? If we give 10 kg of rice, another Rs 2-3,000 crore will be required. It is possible to provide free electricity up to 200 units and Rs 2000 per month to each female head of the family. It is also possible to give a stipend of Rs 3,000 per month for two years to unemployed graduates,” said the former CM.
‘Not tied to Varun or promoting his grandson’
Responding to political talk of Varuna being tied up with BJP’s fielding minister V Somanna, the former CM asked: “Where am I tied up? I am visiting the state. I will be there on 4th and 5th May. Again on 7th and 8th May I will be on tour.
He also denied promoting his grandson in Varun during the filing of nomination. “Where have I promoted my grandson? He is still a 17 year old boy and preparing for PUC exam. This is not correct, this is a politically motivated statement by BJP people. she is interested [in politics] But I have told him not to think about politics until his education is complete.
Siddaramaiah on the other side
The 75-year-old former CM said he could go ahead with the hectic campaign schedule because of his discipline. “I have a strong immunity. I am able to travel across the state,” he said. The cricket lover in him is keeping an eye on the IPL though he does not get to watch the matches. “Sometimes when I am in Bengaluru If I am there, then I go. I participated in the first match but after that I could not go.
The veteran warrior signed off by saying that he was confident of getting the Congress “minimum 130 seats”.
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