Describing the Narendra Modi Government’s recent move to notify the rules for Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) as “electorally motivated”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday expressed his opposition to the granting of citizenship on the basis of religion.
Speaking to reporters after paying his obeisance to late Congress leader R. Dhruvanarayan at Heggavadi in Chamarajanagar on the occasion of his first death anniversary, Mr. Siddaramaiah said questioned the Modi government’s silence on CAA till the approach of Lok Sabha elections.
He said BJP government at the Centre was implementing CAA just before elections, keeping an eye on the electoral gains. However, he expressed his opposition to granting of citizenship on the basis of religion.
When his attention was drawn to the BJP’s charge on release of water to Tamil Nadu, Mr. Siddaramaiah described the same as “lies”. Pointing out that Karnataka did not have water to spare, the Chief Minister ruled out the release of even a drop of water to Tamil Nadu.
He also said there was no demand for water from Tamil Nadu. “We will not release water even if Tamil Nadu asks us or the Centre directs us”, he said.
‘Hidden agenda’
With regard to Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde’s statement on the BJP needing to cross the 400-seat mark in the Lok Sabha to amend the Constitution, Mr. Siddaramaiah said changing the Constitution was the BJP’s “hidden agenda”.
Contending that the BJP leadership was making leaders like Mr Hegde spell it out, the Chief Minister said Mr. Hegde was no ordinary person. “He is a five-time MP and a former Union Minister. Will he say such a thing if it was not a party decision?” asked Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The BJP never had faith in the Constitution ever since it was implemented, he said and accused the saffron party of having belief in ‘Manu Smriti’.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also ridiculed the allegation that Mr. Yaduveer of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru was replacingr Pratap Simmha as the BJP candidate for Mysuru for the sake “adjustment politics” asking if he had asked Mr. Yaduveer to contest as BJP candidate from Mysuru.
However, he expressed confidence that the Congress will defeat BJP. “We are not bothered about the BJP candidate. We are dependent on our pro-people programmes for winning the elections,” he said.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah addressed the gathering at Heggavadi and said Mr. Dhruvanarayan was an exemplary leader, whose popularity had increased even after his death.
He said Mr. Dhruvanarayan had faith in the Constitution of India written by B.R. Ambedkar and regretted the designs to change the constitution.
Minister Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister for Animal Husbandry K. Venkatesh, Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan and former MLA Yathindra were also among those present on the occasion.
