I am a Hindu, I have Ram in my name: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

HUBBALLI: “I am son of the soil. No one from outside the state can preach me about the culture and heritage about this soil. I am also Hindu and I have Rama in my name. BJP people should refrain from calling me anti-Hindu,” said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.After inaugurating various development programmes in Hubballi-Dharwad (East) constituency on Sunday, he announced that the state government would release the pending pension amount to the tune of Rs 130 crore to the HDMC in the coming days.
He said he has already given direction to the Finance Department secretary to release the arrears.

“It is a tight slap on the face of BJP leaders, who were trying to politicise the issue. I am sorry that I have killed their one subject which they were raising to attract the public attention. They have no issues to fight here now,” he said.The CM announced Rs 2 crore for upgradation of hockey stadium at Gangadhar Nagar in Hubballi and assured of building 2,000 Ashraya houses in the city.He confirmed that both C S Shivalli and Prasad Abbayya, MLAs from Kundgol and Hubballi-Dharwad (East) respectively, will contest the election on party ticket and requested people to bless them.

Ours is a performing government, says CM  

Kundgol: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah came down heavily on three former BJP chief ministers in the state and said B S Yeddyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar did nothing for the welfare of the state. While addressing a gathering after inaugurating various development programmes at Kundagol in Hubballi. he said: “Yeddyurappa was jailed for his misdeeds. When the BJP was in power, the MLAs used to stay in resorts revolting against their own government. But no such kind of incidents happened during the Congress regime in Karnataka,” he said.

“Ours is a performing government. We have fulfilled all the promises made in our election manifesto. Many programmes like Indira canteen and farm loan waiver were not in the manifesto, but we implemented them successfully. Yeddyurappa and his team have no subject to criticise the government. Hence, they are trying to disturb communal harmony. The BJP leaders are provoking the public in the name of religion to grab power,” he said and asked the people not to fall prey to such tricks.

‘Yogi has no knowledge of Karnataka’
Lashing out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Siddaramaiah said Yogi has no knowledge about Karnataka. “We celebrate 26 jayantis and one of which is Tipu Jayanti. We are the people who began celebrating Krishna Jayanti. Many Congressmen are Hindus and we are not against Hindus. The BJP has not taken the contract of safeguarding Hindutva. It is dividing people on the basis of religion by evoking public sentiments,” he blamed.

‘Parrikar, BSY doing drama over Mahadayi’
Sidddaramaiah said Goa CM Manohar Parrikar and Yeddyurappa did a great drama to fool the people over Mahadayi dispute. “According to the protocol, the Goa Chief Minister should have written a letter to me. But he chose to write to the state BJP chief. The letter is a pure gimmick to fool people. Yeddyurappa must persuade Parrikar to submit an affidavit before the Mahadayi Tribunal, expressing Goa’s willingness to release 7.56 TMC ft water to Karnataka,” he said. The Karnataka government is ready to
have  discussions with the Goa Chief Minister. “I have already written a letter to the Goa Chief Minister to fix a date and place of meeting. I am ready to have discussion with the Goa CM any time,” he said.

‘State govt has no role in  separate religion issue’
Haveri: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reiterated that the state government has no role in  Lingayat-Veerashaiva separate religion issue. “The state government will not interfere in the religious issue. We have received five petitions from Lingayat community and I referred it to the  Minority Commission,” he said.

People will not vote for Yeddyurappa’
“Yeddyurappa’s dream of becoming the chief minister of the state will remain as dream. I swear on his father that he (BSY) will not become the CM again. People will not vote for a corrupt politician who was jailed,” the Chief Minister said.