Panchayat system is a Congress gift: Siddaramaiah

TUMAKURU: The Congress is the only party which amended laws to decentralize power while the BJP and JD(S) have not done anything to empower the downtrodden, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 

 

In fact the Panchayat Raj system was a gift of the Congress which wanted to make Mahatma Gandhi’s dream come true, he said while addressing at party rally in Huliayar in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumakuru on Thursday.

 

“They do not have the moral right to ask for votes in this election from local bodies constituencies,” said Mr Siddaramaiah while slamming the BJP and JD(S).

 

“It was because of the Congress that the quota system came into existence. With this, people in backward castes, women and Dalits have got political rights and are enjoying the posts of president and vice president in local bodies,” he pointed.  

 

The chief minister rebutted the charge made by leaders of BJP and JD(S) that the government was facing an economic crisis and asserted that it was stable and financially sound. 

 

He criticized the Janata Dal (Secular) saying voting for a party led by a family(of Deve Gowda) would not help in any way. 

 

Slamming Opposition leader in the Council K.S. Eshwarappa, the CM asked him to retire from politics for claiming that the BJP would get more seats than Congress in the Council polls. 

 

He said Mr Eshwarappa was a ‘fool’ and added that there was no need to attach any importance to his views.