Raichur: Expressing his displeasure over the failure of the state government to get funds from the Centre for undertaking relief measures in flood affected areas, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Siddaramaiah asked Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to take an all party delegation including leaders of the Opposition to New Delhi to seek funds from the Centre.
Speaking to the media here after visiting a flood-affected village in the taluk, Mr Siddaramaiah chided the CM for his inability to pressurise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to release funds.
Coming down heavily on the Centre as well as the state government over flood relief measures, he said, “The state government has no eyes or ears. Even nearly 50 days after the tour of flood-affected areas by Mr Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, not even a single paise has been released. This shows the callousness of the government,” he remarked.
Describing Mr Yediyurappa as the weakest chief minister the state has ever seen, Mr Siddaramiah said his wings had been clipped by the BJP high command. “He is a chief minister with no powers. He is heading a government which has no majority. This government has been formed by enticing our MLAs and those of the JD(S). If you cannot run the show, quit your post,” he taunted.
The Congress leader demanded that the state legislature session be convened immediately to discuss the floods and the drought in some districts. He also demanded that the winter session be held in Belagavi and not in Bengaluru as decided.
Claiming that he had never practiced vindictive politics when in office, Mr Siddaramaiah remarked that the BJP government had taken decisions which were partisan in nature. “We never discriminated against MLAs while granting funds. But the BJP government has cut allocations to constituencies belonging to the Opposition and favoured its party legislators as well as those intending to join the BJP. This vindictive politics will boomerang,” he remarked.
