Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticised the BJP for “playing politics” over the scheduled January 22 event and trying to use the inauguration of Ram Temple to play politics. He said that the Congress has not opposed the Ram Temple or installing of Sri Ram statue at Ayodhya. It is only opposed to the BJP playing politics. “I never said that either I was going to Ayodhya or not,” he added.
He was speaking to mediapersons at a helipad in Tinthini Bridge in Deodurga taluk of Raichur district before taking part in Halumtha Samskritika Vaibhava at Kaginele Mahasamsthan Kanaka Gurupeetha at the bridge on Saturday.
When asked about Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simmha’s statement that it will be a challenge between the son of the Chief Minister and a journalist if former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah contests the coming MP election from Mysuru-Kodagu Constituency, the Chief Minister sharply asked who told him that Mr. Yathindra was going to contest the election there. “Who said that? Neither I nor Mr. Yathindra have said so. These are all speculations. Pratap Simmha is suffering from restlessness and has feared his defeat. Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh visited Mysuru as an observer and submitted his report. Based on his report, a decision will be taken,” he said.
He further said that tickets for parliamentary elections will be given based on the opinions of MP’s, MLA’s, ex-MLA’s, those who were candidates, the president of the District Congress Committee, and the Block Congress Committee.
He hit back at Union Minister Pralhad Joshi for talking about Congress’ appeasement politics and said that the Congress believed in secularism and favoured all, irrespective of caste and religion. The Congress party, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, had brought independence to the country. “We are not like the BJP, which divides society based on caste and religion,” he added.
The Chief Minister sharply replied to former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s statement that the amount of ₹2,000 under the Gruha Laxmi scheme is very little, asking, “Had he given ₹100?”
“The H. Kantaraju Commission report was not accepted when H.D. Kumarswamy was Chief Minister. But I have given Jayaprakash Hedge, who is the permanent chairman of Backward Classes, two months to submit the report. I will accept the report if he submits it,” he said.
The CM replied to a question that an action plan for ₹750 crore was submitted although ₹5000 crore was announced for Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB). He said, “It was delayed because of the act which says that a direction has to be taken from Governor as we presented Budget in July and implemented in August. However, a clear instruction was given to all to in the recent meeting to make more expenditure.”
