MLC and KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed has alleged that after having lost the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had indulged in vengeance politics and meting out injustice to the State through the Centre.
Addressing a press conference in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Ahmed accused the Union government of delaying the free 10 kg rice scheme of the State government. “Providing 10 kg of rice every month is one among the guarantee schemes of the State government. But the BJP-led Union government is playing vengeance politics. Initially it said it will supply rice and all of a sudden changed its stance and communicated that it will not supply rice. The people of the State will teach a lesson to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
“Former Union Minister and seven-time MP K.H. Muniyappa is the present Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and he was made to wait for three days to meet the Union Minister. After he was finally allowed to meet him, the Union Minister categorically rejected the State’s request. It is nothing but a deliberate move,” he said.
Mr. Ahmed sought to know why over 20 MPs of the BJP were reluctant to prevail upon the Union government for meeting the request of the State government.
On the proposed agitations by the BJP leaders, Mr. Ahmed said that while the people of the State had the patience to allow sufficient time for implementation of the scheme, the BJP leaders had lost patience after losing elections.
“Whether the Centre supplies rice or not, we will distribute rice to the people as promised,” he said.
Pointing out that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to fulfil the promises on doubling farmers’ income, 2 crore employment generation and other promises, he said unlike them the Congress would fulfil its guarantees.
To a query, he said Congress would win at least 20 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections and the UPA would form the government at the centre.
