Politics of hate rising under BJP rule: Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Coming out in strong support of senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar, who has been summoned to Delhi by the Enforcement Directorate, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah charged here on Friday that he was being targeted as he had prevented some 40 MLAs from being poached by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat a few years ago.

“Mr Shivkumar is waging a legal battle in this matter. As his plea was dismissed in the High Court, he has now approached the Supreme Court. The Enforcement Directorate and income tax department too must act legally. Summons should not be issued for political reasons. But after the  Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, such political hate has increased. There seems to be misuse of Central agencies. Even in the case of former finance minister, Chidambaram, he ought not to have been arrested. There has to be natural justice, but it is missing,” the former chief minister said.

While Bharatiya Janata Party leaders indulged in playing politics, the rehabilitation of flood victims was delayed in the state, he added.

“The state has still not received from the Union government . When there are 25 Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from  the state, what are they and Chief Minister Yediyurappa doing? It has been three weeks since the floods , but the Prime Minister  has still not visited the state,” Mr Siddaramaiah observed, adding that Mr Modi was not coming to Karnataka on September 7 to visit the flood-hit districts, but for  some other programme.

Mr Siddaramaih later visited the flood -hit areas of Konanahosalli, and Beelenahosalli in Hunsur taluk and spoke to the victims.

He also visited the Thora region in Heggala village, Virajpet taluk where six people died and four went missing after a few houses collapsed in landslides.