Bengaluru: Criticising the recent Income Tax raids on his cabinet colleagues including energy minister D.K. Shivakumar, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday declared that Congress leaders will not be scared of any raids anymore and will face “political raids” unitedly.
Speaking at the launch of 101 Indira Canteen here, Mr Siddaramaiah said the Congress was always for apolitical raids. “Central agencies can raid any of our leaders, my only appeal to them is to come with an open mind while conducting the raids. If anyone tries to breach the law of Omerta (a code of honour that places importance on silence), generally espoused in federal structures, they will face a political struggle,” he declared.
Throughout his speech, the CM ridiculed PM Narendra Modi and said, “The PM deliver his Mann Ki Baath on radio, we will counter him in Karnataka with rice baath.” Coming down on those opposing Indira Canteens, he said only those who know hunger would know its pain, adding that opposition from the rich who do not understand hunger, was irrelevant.
Responding to criticism on the naming of the canteens after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said the canteens were aptly named after the leader who gave a rousing call to eradicate poverty in 1971 with the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao.’
“That was her response to her opponents calling for ‘Indira Hatao’. Our response to our opponents is similar,” the CM said.
He assured that the canteens will soon be extended to all districts of the state. They will serve breakfast at '5, while lunch and dinner will cost '10 each. AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who flew in to inaugurate the government’s pet project, was the first patron at the Indira Canteen in Jayanagar.
Modelled on Tamil Nadu government’s Amma Canteens that provide subsidised meals, Mr Siddaramaiah justified replicating the Tamil Nadu project in Karnataka saying, “There have been several allegations that this is a copy of the Amma Canteen in Tamil Nadu. I would like to say that any programme which helps the poor, should be copied.”
