Siddaramaiah prevented BCs from getting benefits of 116 schemes: Amit Shah

BJP National General Secretary Amit Shah has alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had prevented the people of Karnataka, particularly backward classes, from getting the benefits of the 116 schemes launched by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.

He was addressing a State-level convention of the backward classes organised by the BJP at Kaginele in Byadgi taluk of Haveri district where all the speakers took a dig at Mr. Siddaramaiah, calling him a ‘fake’ leader of AHINDA.

Mr. Shah said Mr. Siddaramaiah, who called himself a pro-backward classes leader, was more concerned about the welfare of the minorities rather than welfare of the backward classes which constituted 22% of the State population.

Listing out the various schemes launched by the Narendra Modi government, Mr. Shah said that in all these schemes crores of families of backward classes had benefited.

Accusing the Siddaramiah government of indulging in violent politics, he said scores of Hindu activists had been killed by vested interests in the State and among them several were from backward classes. He alleged that the Siddaramaiah government was trying to protect the accused involved in these murders. “After Yeddyurappa government comes to power, all the murderers would be dug out from their havens and brought to book”, he announced.

Mr. Shah said that it was now time for the members of backward classes to decide on whether they wanted a real leader like Mr. Yeddyurappa who took everyone along with him or a ‘fake’ AHINDA leader like Mr. Siddaramaiah. He assured the gathering that if voted to power the BJP would give back the backward classes what was due for them, by giving them adequate representation and treating them with dignity. He said Mr. Yeddyurappa had done a lot for the backward classes, while Mr. Siddaramaiah had given nothing but “a bundle of lies.”

Mr. Shah took a dig at Mr. Siddaramaiah and said that he (Mr. Siddaramaiah) and his party stalled the bill which the Narendra Modi led NDA government had tabled in the Rajya Sabha for giving constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission. “Whatever may be the hurdles for the bill posed by the Congress party, BJP will bring the legislation to give justice to the backward classes”, he said.

Mr. Shah’s speech, which was translated into Kannada by Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, began with how honoured he was to visit the land of saint poet Kanakadasa who wanted all the communities to go together.

No criticism

Former Chief Minister and BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa listed out various schemes and programmes launched by him when in power, for the benefit of backward classes, and said sarcastically that he would not criticise Mr. Siddaramaiah as the latter would have to “go home after 42 days.”

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa termed the Siddaramaiah government as most corrupt and challenged to him to at least win in his home constituency first.

President of BJP OBC Morcha B.J. Puttaswamy welcomed the gathering. MP B. Sriramulu spoke. Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar, former Ministers C.M. Udasi, Basavaraj Bommai, and G.M. Siddheshwar, MP Shivakumar Udasi, and BJP national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao were present.