Won't obstruct PM Narendra Modi's February 4 visit, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed all speculation that his government was planning another bandh on Sunday to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state.

The Chief Minister was speaking to reporters after flagging off the mobile Indira Canteens here on Friday.

“Our party is not so petty minded as to obstruct the Prime Minister's function. Politically, we need to respect even the opposition's voice. But we will not respect the lies told by them,” he asserted, clearly referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s allegation that the bandh over the Mahadayi dispute was stage managed by the Congress government to steal the thunder from its party president, Amit Shah’s visit to Karnataka on Thursday.

Reacting sharply to Mr Shah’s statement in Mysuru that the Bharatiya Janata Party would release a chargesheet against him, Mr Siddaramaiah contended that both he and state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa were former “jail birds”, who people did not trust.

“I should have committed some offense for a chargesheet to be filed against me. Mr Yeddyurappa has been singing the same tune. But no snake has come out of his basket. The people of Karnataka have appreciated my good work during a recent opinion poll. “As a matter of fact, law and order collapsed in BJP-ruled states during release of Padmaavat. Instead of comforting the victims of the violence in these states, Mr Shah came to Mysuru to tell lies to the people of Karnataka. If he goes on telling lies, will people not be angry with him as he is from Gujarat and I am from their state?” he demanded.

As for the government withdrawing cases booked against people of the minority communities during the recent communal riots, Mr Siddaramaiah said that the state government was also planning to drop cases against pro-Kannada activists, farmers and others.