Narayanaswamy Dares Siddaramaiah To Debate, Vows To Quit Politics

Bagalkot: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy has thrown a challenge to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that he is ready to retire from politics if the latter gives satisfactory answers to his questions regarding the injustices done to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and minorities through a dialogue.

Addressing mediapersons at the BJP district office here, Narayanaswamy asserted that if Siddaramaiah was unable to respond convincingly, he too should accept defeat and step away from politics. The BJP leader accused the state government of pushing Karnataka into a “development vacuum” under Siddaramaiah’s leadership.

Criticising the government’s handling of SC/ST welfare, he said there is a stark contrast between its announcements and actions.

“Out of 42,000 crore allocated under the SCP and TSP schemes, Rs 21,000 crore was diverted to other departments, while Rs 14,000 crore was used for the government’s guarantee schemes. Only Rs 7,000 crore was actually spent on social welfare,” he said.

He further alleged that funds were being used for events like Constitution Day and Democracy Day celebrations. He objected that although Rs 500 crore was announced for SC/ST corporations, not even Rs 200 crore had been released, and there were no concrete action plans. “Without funds for asset creation, Dalits are left in distress,” he said.

He further alleged that Siddaramaiah’s prolonged stay in the region was driven by fear of defeat and concerns over the government’s stability, including speculation over Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s prospects.

“He has camped here for five days out of fear of defeat, worried that the government may face instability and that DK Shivakumar could become Chief Minister if the election is lost,” he attacked.

The BJP leader also charged the government with misusing official machinery during the campaign, claiming that there were media reports of teachers and staff from various departments being deployed for political work.

Taking a swipe at the Congress party’s attack on the Centre, he said, “The entire world is praising India, but these leaders call it ‘Surrender Modi’. Where has he surrendered?” he asked, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘Durandhar Modi,’ and a decisive leader capable of handling crises. He alleged that had Congress been in power at the Centre, the country would have been reduced to a situation akin to Pakistan.

Raising questions over the Congress’ flagship guarantee schemes, Narayanaswamy sought clarity on whether they would continue if the party lost the Bagalkot and Davanagere South constituencies. “Will the guarantees be stopped only in these two segments or across the state? Let the Chief Minister make his stand clear,” he said, while accusing Congress leaders of resorting to “threat politics”.

He claimed that in Davanagere South, power remains concentrated in a single family, and that sections of the Muslim community, asserting their self-respect, have resolved to defeat Congress. “Dalits too have taken a similar decision,” he said.

He also criticised the government for not filling vacancies, alleging that due to an empty treasury, 2.84 lakh posts remain unfilled, while in reality, about 4 lakh posts are vacant. He accused the state government of neglecting education and healthcare sectors.