From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 8: In a sharp attack against the State BJP leaders for “manufacturing falsehood about the Congress government’s stability,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed that his government is “robust and stable” while the BJP is “facing intellectual bankruptcy.”
“Dear leaders of BJP Karnataka, rest assured that our government stands robust and stable. It appears, however, that it is your intellect which is facing bankruptcy, not our state,” he said, advising them: “Do not embarrass yourselves by lying every day and then manufacturing more falsehoods to defend them when they are exposed.”
Siddaramaiah has in a press statement, said, “You (BJP) are blabbering about the state going bankrupt because of a loan of Rs 10,000 crore in the April-June quarter last year, wouldn't have invited us to beat you up with facts if you had taken the trouble to examine the debt records during your own previous government's tenure.”
The Chief Minister said: “During the financial year 2020-21, when your party’s Basavaraj Bommai was the Chief Minister, he took a loan of Rs 84,528 crore. The following year, 2021-22, saw an additional borrowing of Rs 67,332 crore, and in 2022-23, the loan amount reached Rs 72,000 crore. To repay this debt, Rs 43,580 crore was spent in 2022-23.”
Consequently, the responsibility to settle these debts now falls on us, he mentioned.
“Shouldn't you at least ask your own Bommai before making allegations against our government?” he said.
The Chief Minister said from the time of independence until 2018, the total debt of the state government was Rs 2.42 lakh crore.
“In the five years from 2018 to 2023, this debt increased to Rs 5.40 lakh crore. Within a span of five years, the state's debt surged by Rs 3 lakh crore. BJP Karnataka should introspect about this and kindly inform the public about the party responsible for the debt increase,” he said.
Siddaramaiah went on to attack BJP leaders by explaining that, “it seems that governance, economy, and development are not your cup of tea; you excel only in filling people's minds with Hindu-Muslim, communalism, Pakistan, and Muslim League issues, causing strife among peacefully coexisting communities for political gain.”
He said: “The people of the state know who is ‘Sullu Ramaiah’ and who is ‘Satya Ramaiah’. They will accordingly answer you in this election, he warned.