No government has done as well as mine, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Basavakalyan: While pooh-poohing State BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa's allegations that he had taken the state's economy to the brink of bankruptcy and had done little for its development during the last four and a half years he has been in office, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that no other government in the state had performed as well as the one headed by him. He sought the blessings of the people for building a "New Karnataka".  

Addressing a public meeting after laying foundation stones and inaugurating various projects amounting to Rs 265 crore here, Mr Siddaramaiah asserted that he had not only fulfilled all 165 promises made in the 2013 election manifesto, he had also launched new schemes which were not listed in the manifesto.

Mr Siddaramaiah, who was in a combative mood, devoted a major part of his speech to attacking Yeddyurappa for questioning his contributions. Alleging that the BJP leader had become desperate to grab power as his Mission-150 seats  would flop, Mr Siddaramaiah   said although he had invited the BJP to a public debate, the latter was not ready for it. "Mr Yeddyurappa is addressing me in the singular as he lacks in political culture.  What contribution has he made to the state  other than distributing cyles and sarees? Is there is a state ruled by any BJP government which is providing seven kg free rice to 1.80 crore BPL families? Do you have the guts to tell people why you had to quit the CM's post? Is there is a CM who has taken kickbacks through cheques? There is no such precedent in the history of independent India. What moral right do you have to declare that my government is corrupt? I'm proud to declare that I have provided a scandal-free government. How many Ministers in your governments went to jail? You should be ashamed to lead the Parivartana rally tom-toming that you will build a new state after having gone to jail", Mr Siddaramaih asserted.

Recalling the ‘contradictory’ stands taken by Mr Yeddyurappa on  Tipu Sultan Jayanti and on the issue of waiver of farmer loans, Mr Siddaramaiah pointedly asked the people present, "How many tongues does he have?" and replied, "he has two tongues". 

Expressing his displeasure over the violent protests at Kumta and  Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district over the death of a youth Paresh Mesta, Mr Siddaramaiah took both Mr Yeddyurappa and the Union Minister of state for skill development Ananthkumar Hegde to task for the "politicization" of the death (of Mesta).  "Mr Ananthkumar Hegde called me a demon. But he himself is a big demon as he has no faith in humanity", he remarked.

BS Yeddyurappa takes Basava’s  name but does little: Siddaramaiah
Describing himself as an ardent follower of social reformer and Lingayat icon basavanna, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had earlier announced measures like the mandatory display of Basavanna's portraits in all government offices, on Wednesday tried to further woo them by proposing  to built an Anubhav Manatap here.  

Mr Siddaramaiah, who kickstarted his month-long state-wide tour in Basavakalyan, recalled  the measures he had taken since his days as finance minister in the J.H. Patel government to make Basavanna's name immortal. He also took a dig at BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa, without taking his name, remarking that he was "only uttering Basavanna's name and doing little for making his name last long".

"After taking oath as  CM on Basava Jayanthi on December 13 in 2013, I took  a vow to work sincerely to build a society envisioned by Basavanna and other Shivasharanas.  During 1994-99 as Finance Minister I had released Rs 50 crore for development of Kudalasangama, a step  nobody had taken in the past. And in 2004 when I became Deputy CM, I set up  Basavakalyana Development Board and released Rs 5 crore in the 2004-05 budget.  As CM I have taken measures for developing Kudalasangama on the lines of Aksharadham in Delhi by granting Rs 250 crore".