Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah lashes out at Bedi for no toilet, no rice' remark

Bengaluru: After Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi courted controversy over her ‘no toilet, no rice’ order, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday slammed Ms Bedi for making toilet construction a must to qualify for the benefits PDS.

“Shows how little the Bharatiya Janata Party understands hunger. Hope Karnataka BJP doesn’t include linking Anna Bhagya with toilet construction in its manifesto,” he tweeted.

The chief minister further added that in this election his party’s mission is to defeat anti-development and communal Bharatiya Janata Party and opportunist Janata Dal (Secular), who are working together.

It may be recalled that within less than 24 hours after Ms Bedi announced a new ‘policy’ to stop the distribution of free rice to those villages that are not open defecation and garbage free, she had to withdraw the order.

In an announcement on Twitter, she said, “In view of misreading of my intent to improve living conditions of rural poor and in view of assured commitment that rural areas will be open defecation free by June 2018, I have clarified my earlier communications to put at rest any misgivings.”