Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 9: Karnataka chief minister (CM), Siddaramaiah, accused income tax (IT) officials who raided energy minister, Shivakumar's properties, of asking him to join BJP at the time of the raid itself. He was speaking at the programme, 'Naraluttide Bharata (India is suffering)' programme organized by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Wednesday November 8 as mark of protest against demonetisation exercose of the central government.

"The union government is using Central Bureau of Investigation, income tax, and enforcement directorate for political reasons. This development is detrimental to democratic set up," he observed.

Siddaramaiah recalled that Narendra Modi, before he became the Prime Minister (PM), had predicted good days ahead for the country but quipped that good days seem to have come only for Adani, Ambani, and Baba Ramdev. Recalling that the PM had promised to credit Rs 15 lac to the accounts of each citizen, he said not a single rupee has come so far. "Although the PM promised to provide employment to two crore unemployed youth each year, he could not create even twenty lac jobs," he alleged.

"Yeddyurappa has been openly claiming that Karnataka government under my leadership is the most corrupt government. But Yeddyurappa and Amit Shah both were jailed in the past. If they have some self respect, they should not be seen in public. Ours is the most transparent and people-friendly government," he stated.

Siddaramaiah accused BJP of indulging in wrong things when in power and now taking out 'Parivartana Yatra'. He said that several BJP leaders have termed this as 'KJP Yatra'. "BJP leader, Sogadu Shivanna, has accused BJP leaders of distributing saris and money to people who attended BJP convention. Yeddyurappa has only two people with him, Shobha Karandlaje and Puttaswamy. No other BJP leader supports him," he stated.

The CM said that visits of Modi and Amit Shah will not do any wonders as expected by BJP in Karnataka and that religion-based politics does not work here. He predicted defeat for BJP in Gujarat this time.

Siddaramaiah said that BJP's Parivartana Yatra programme attracted only a crowd of 20,000 as against claims of that party leaders that three lac people would come together for this programme. He charged BJP leader and former deputy chief minister, R Ashoka, of distributing land illegally, in the capacity of the president of Bagar Hukum Committee. He also launched scathing attack on opposition leaders, Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa. He said that Eshwarappa does not have any brain.

The chief minister also launched verbal tirade against JD(S) leaders, Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy. He recalled that Kumaraswamy had claimed credit for his brother, Revanna, for having started the scheme of giving milk to children. "If they had launched all the schemes, why do they now conduct 'Karnataka Vikasa Yatra'? Did they not achieve any progress when in power? During Kumaraswamy's village stay programmes, he used to carry his own bed and pillow," Siddaramaiah claimed.