Launching a counter-attack on BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who has been critical of the Grama Vaastavya programme, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday sought to remind the BJP leader that he had participated in the programme with him at Sriramapura in Hassan district during the JD(S)-BJP regime.

“I wonder why the Grama Vaastavya, which was then sweet to Mr. Yeddyurappa, now become bitter,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said. Taking exception to Mr. Yeddyurappa indulging in personal attack in the ruse of criticising Grama Vaastavya, the Chief Minister asked him not to bring disrepute to the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Responding to Mr. Yeddyurappa asking the Chief Minister to release a White Paper on the status of villages in which he stayed during his earlier stint, Mr. Kumaraswamy urged the BJP leader, who succeeded him as Chief Minister, to furnish information on the development works undertaken by him as Chief Minister in the villages where he [Mr. Kumaraswamy] had camped.

Seeking to set the records straight on allegations that Grama Vaastavya had not helped in resolving problems of villages, he said various flagship programmes such as arrack and lottery ban, farm loan waiver, Suvarna Grama Yojane, and appointment of 40,000 teachers were the offshoots of such programmes.

“This is not a gimmick. It is possible to take up such a programme only if you have the will to resolve the problems of villagers with humanity and a maternal heart,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said. Referring to Mr. Yeddyurappa’s allegations that drought relief works were not being implemented with the right earnest, the Chief Minister asked the BJP leader to help provide impetus to the works by convincing the Centre to release the State’s share of ₹1,500 crore for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme instead of making baseless allegations.