Mysuru: Targeting state BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa for having food in the homes of Dalits during his tour of drought-hit districts, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed the saffron party was merely “acting” and in reality was against meting out social justice.
“It was BJP leader, Rama Jois, who opposed reservation for minorities and women. Now they are only acting by visiting Dalits’ houses and streets. They should be ashamed. I don’t believe in caste or dharma. We don’t divide people either in the name of dharma as we believe in secular principles. It is the Congress which introduced reservation by amending the Constitution,” he said, addressing a mammoth Mysuru divisional level rally, “Kotta Maathu Ditta Saadhane”, of over 30,000 beneficiaries from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Hassan, Kodagu, South Canara, Udupi, and Chikkamagaluru districts here. Mr Siddaramaiah claimed his government had allotted four times the funds for backward classes and minorities that the previous governments had in the state. Taking a dig at the BJP’s slogan, “ Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas” he said it rang true for his government and not for the Union government, which he alleged wanted to leave the minorities and backward class communities behind in development.
As for the rally, he said it was not a political convention. “During the drought, we did not want to have a Saadana Samavesha to celebrate our four years in office. So we decided to hold a function to distribute benefits. I have worked with five CMs – Ramakrishna Hegde, S R Bommai, H D Deve Gowda, J H Patel and Dharam Singh. I have seen governments even before that. They threw the manifestos into the dustbin and made no effort to fulfil them. But every time I presented the budget, I have ensured that our manifesto is fulfilled,” he said.
‘Dr G. hasn’t quit as home minister’
CM Siddaramaiah clarified on Saturday that Dr G Parameshwar had not yet resigned as Home Minister and refused to disclose who would replace him when he did.
“The decision on who will become Home Minister cannot be disclosed to the media. It will be placed before the cabinet, which will take a call on it,” he told DC at the airport here, when asked if Home Minister’s resignation had been accepted.
But going by Home department sources, Dr Parameshwar has already resigned from the ministry, and his resignation only remains to be accepted. This could be done on June 5, according to sources close to the Chief Minister.
Asked if his party planned to unseat Mr D.H. Shankara-murthy as Council Chairman, he indicated it did, demanding, “Does he have a majority? How can one continue without a majority in a democracy?”
On whether the government planned to increase the reservation quota from 50 to 70 per cent for backward classes, he said this could be done only within the Constitutional framework. As for Minister M B Patil doing poojas for rain when the state government planned to bring in an act to curb superstition, the CM pointed out he was doing it out of his personal expenses.
