Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him the Centre would consider the state's demands for more funds for development and called him a “great visionary”.
He said the Prime Minister spoke to him personally assuring him of all help and suggested that he come to New Delhi and meet the Union Ministers concerned on the matter.
The clarification came a day after Yediyurappa sought the Centres help while addressing the 'Krishi Karman' awards event in Tumkur, which Modi attended.
In a statement the Chief Minister said a section of the media had attached a motive to his speech, "which was plain and honest in its content."
Being in a federal set up, there was nothing wrong in placing the facts before the Prime Minister and making submissions, he said.
He said that as Chief Minister, he placed the state's problems and need of more funds for development before Modi.
Yediyurappa said he had urged the Prime Minister to grant more funds for relief work, scientific and remunerative price for farm produce, and special fund of Rs 50,000 crore for speeding up of on-going irrigation works.
As it was a farmers meet, I felt it worthy and timely to plead with the Prime Minister for more funds for all the developmental activities in the state," he added.
Modi not responding to request during his two day visit to the state had drawn flak from sections of the media, social media users and also the opposition parties.
Noting that undoubtedly the Prime Minister was a great visionary and his concern for the poor and farmers was unquestionable, Yediyurappa said when the world is appreciating his statesmanship and visionary zeal, it is in very bad taste for the media to attribute motives to my speech and relate it to the prime minister.
In fact, the Prime Minister spoke to me personally and assured me of all help and suggested I come to New Delhi and meet the concerned Ministers and apprise them about the states problems and pending projects.
He also directed me to prepare a detailed report on this matter, the Chief Minster said.
Yediyurappa requested the electronic and print media not to misinterpret, but support the government in the interest of development of the state and interest of the people and hoped they would respond to it.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too had alleged that Modi's act of ignoring Yediyurappa was equivalent to insulting Kannadigas.
"Irrespective of the party from which @BSYBJP is elected, he is our @CMofKarnataka & our representative.
The act of @narendramodi to ignore Yediyurappa & humiliate him on the stage is equivalent to insulting Kannadigas. I condemn this," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
Some twitter users who trended "#GobackModi" on Thursday had used a clipping of Yediyurappa's speech about not getting additional flood relief from the Centre despite repeated requests, at a programme attended by the Prime Minister, to attack him.
Yediyurappa, while referring to the flood damage had said on Thursday he had brought to Modi's notice that the loss was over Rs 30,000 crore and that additional funds had not been released despite his repeated requests to the Centre.
