Shah on Siddu: He's no champion of the OBCs

Hubballi: Taking on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who prides himself on being a champion of the Ahinda cause, BJP national president Amit Shah, accused the state government of lying about its commitment to the welfare of the backward communities  and said it was the BJP, which would do them justice.

Mr Shah, who was addresssing an OBC convention organised by the party in Kaginele , Haveri district, the birthplace of saint Kanakadasa and a holy land of the Kuruba community to which Mr Siddaramaiah belongs,  declared the BJP would take all communities along in its quest for development as the Modi government believed in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.' The Congress, on the other hand, was blocking a Bill in parliament to grant Constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission, he noted, vowing to not let this come in the way of the legislation. 

While accusing the Congress of following a divide and rule policy, Mr Shah claimed that several of the 24 BJP and RSS activists killed in Karnataka were OBCs. "The BJP will punish all these murderers soon after Yeddyurappa becomes Chief Minister," he declared. 

Elaborating  on the schemes launched by  Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welfare of the backward classes, he said the Centre had announced a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and over one lakh women from OBCs were getting their gas connections thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Ujwal Yojana. " The Siddaramaiah government has neglected backward communities, but the BJP will do them justice by working for their welfare," he promised.