Siddaramaiah to meet President Murmu, Union Minister Amit Shah

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be in New Delhi on Wednesday to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among  others in what he termed as a courtesy call.

According to the Chief Minister's tour programme, he will be leaving for Delhi on Wednesday morning, where he is likely to meet Union ministers.

“I'm meeting the President, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tomorrow... After becoming Chief Minister, I had not met (them), so I'm meeting. It is only a courtesy call,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said State Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa will meet the Union Food Minister and request supply of rice for 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, which provides additional 5 kilograms of rice for BPL families.

Siddaramaiah and his ministers have accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to “fail” the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice for rolling out the scheme from July 1, as promised.

They have alleged that the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,08,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12.

The BJP has hit back accusing Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetence and are desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre.

The Chief Minister was scheduled to leave for Delhi on Tuesday evening, however the tour programme was subsequently revised.

According to Congress sources, the meeting of Siddaramaiah and his entire council of ministers with the party leadership including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi among others in Delhi that was scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed.