Wheat, rice given by Centre for Karnataka's poor, rotting: BS Yeddyurappa

Mysuru: State BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa once again accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday of getting kickbacks from companies awarded contracts for various projects and claimed he behaved like a “commission agent.”

“He sanctions 25 to 30 per cent more funds than the estimated cost of any project, and awards the tender only after he gets the extra amount given, as commission. Projects in Mysuru and Chamarajnagar districts are classic examples,” he alleged. Mr Yeddyurappa was addressing a farmers’ convention organised by the Mysuru unit of the BJP Raitha Morcha to campaign for chemical-free farming in Mysuru district by 2024 and create awareness about organic farming. Claiming that thousands of quintals of wheat and rice given by the Centre for the state’s poor was rotting in godowns, the Lingayat strongman declared that the people would teach Mr Siddaramaiah a lesson.

“ Even if God forgives him, the people should not forgive this corrupt Chief Minister. He shouldn’t win anywhere,” he said, adding, “The Congress is a broken house. We will expose all its scams and irregularities with facts and figures during our Parivarthana Yatre, which will begin next month.” Senior BJP leader, B J Puttaswamy claimed the party had “ removed the government’s mask of being corruption and scam –free.”

“Every time we make allegations, you say that we lie and you ask to produce documents. But when we produce them, you do not have the common sense to see what they reveal. I will make these same allegations in your hometown,” he warned the CM. Former Congress leader, V Srinivasprasad, who left the party to join the BJP some months ago, demanded a white paper from the state government on funds released to waive farm loans.