PADUBIDRI (UDUPI): Piggybacking on the feel good factor of slew of measures that he implemented during his tenure as chief minister in general and the Anna Bhagya scheme in particular, Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition, launched a political broadside against the state government.
He also took on his critics for dubbing him as a person opposed to Lord Ram, reminding them that the word ‘Ram’ forms part of his name.
Using the ‘Janadwani’ padayatra organised by the Udupi District Congress Committee as a battering ram against the B S Yediyurappa government, Siddaramaiah questioned the move by incumbent CM to reduce the quota of 7-kgs rice that he earmarked under the Anna Bhagya scheme. “Congress is bound to come back to power with a majority in the next assembly polls and we will increase this quota to 10-kgs of rice,” he said.
Critical of what he said were failures by the BJP government to implement assurances that it gave to the electorate in the manifesto, Siddaramaiah said the Yediyurappa government had failed on all fronts and wondered if it should be given a chance to remain in power. The government has failed the farmers, fishermen and women in the beedi industry in this part of the state and should be voted out of power in the next assembly polls, he said.
Poet Kuvempu's idea of ‘Vishvamanava’ should be a guiding light for all. It enlightens people about the idea of secularism and equality. Instead, the BJP at the national level is engaged in dividing the society in the name of religion. They are the perfect example for the idea of ‘Alpamanava’ (lesser mortals), Siddaramaiah said, reminding the party workers as to how the Saffron political outfit had turned the coast into a communal laboratory.
Siddaramaiah also exhorted BJP to recollect the Indian Independence movement. Thousands of Congress leaders have sacrificed their lives but there is no one from RSS who have died in the fight for independence. He also questioned why RSS leaders including K B Hegdewar, M S Golwalkar had stayed away from the Indian freedom movement. “People who killed the Mahatma are teaching us lessons on patriotism and we don’t need it,” he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain said Congress is the only party that has been actively supporting the on-going agitation of farmers camping on Delhi borders for the past few months in which around 200 farmers have died. BJP pushed through the farm laws illegally in the Rajya Sabha by not accepting demand of the opposition for a division; he said adding that the ruling party knew its own allies would oppose these controversial legislations.