The Hindu : Karnataka News : BJP Government will fall soon: Siddaramaiah

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Karnataka

Karnataka

BJP Government will fall soon: Siddaramaiah

Staff Correspondent

Congress workers told to strengthen party

‘By withdrawing criminal cases, the Government has showed that it does not respect the law’
State is facing a financial crunch, says the former Deputy Chief Minister

DAVANGERE: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government will fall on its own soon owing to internal squabbles.

He has called upon Congress workers to strengthen the party from the grassroots level and inform people of “shortcomings” of the BJP Government.

Speaking after being felicitated by the Davangere district unit of the Congress here on Thursday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that there were serious differences among the rank and file of the BJP and there were many aspirants in that party for the Chief Minister’s post. People were fed up with the “maladministration” of the BJP Government, he said and alleged that the Government had failed to implement any development programme.

S.V. Ramachandra, Jagalur MLA; Abdul Jabbar, president of the Davangere unit of the Congress, and D.G. Shanthanna Gowda, P.T. Parameshwara Naika and Nagappa, former MLAs, were among those present on the occasion.

Surprisingly, prominent Congress leaders including M.P. Prakash, former Deputy Chief Minister, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Davangere MLA, and S.S. Mallikarjun, former Minister, were absent at the felicitation function.

Withdrawal of cases

Chitradurga Staff Correspondent writes:

Addressing Congress workers at a felicitation programme in Chitradurga on Wednesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that by withdrawing criminal cases filed against Reddy brothers of Bellary and Minister B. Sriramulu, the BJP Government had showed that it does not respect the law and the Constitution.

He said, “If the Government had decided to withdraw cases filed against some people in the interests of the public, we also would have supported the decision. But it has decided to withdraw cases filed against the Reddy brothers and Mr. Sriramulu who have been charged with demolishing a temple to encroach upon the land for mining. Was this done in public interest?” The former Deputy Chief Minister alleged that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was misusing government machinery for organising party programmes.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is touring the State to gather information on the status of development works launched by the BJP Government, claimed that the State was a facing financial crunch. “During my tenure as the Finance Minister, I presented a Rs. 4,000-crore surplus budget. But the BJP Government is reeling under fiscal deficit of over Rs. 10,000 crore,” he said. He said he would raise these issues in the coming Assembly session.

He charged that the BJP had won the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the State on money power. Referring to reported statement of Minister for Power K.S. Eshwarappa in this regard, Mr. Siddaramaiah said it was a clear admission of the BJP’s way of functioning by its own leader.

He said that reasons for dismal performance of the Congress in the two elections were lack of unity among workers and delay in announcing the candidates. He urged the party workers to remain united.

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