Siddu takes dig at Centre, State govt over flood relief

Bengaluru: Hitting out at the BJP government in the state and at the centre over the delay in announcing flood relief for Karnataka, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said that the Centre had not given even a single rupee since the floods caused havoc last month despite a Central team visiting the affected places and the state government submitting a memorandum putting the loss at Rs 38,000 crore.

Addressing pressperson Siddaramaiah said that the central government had sent back the state’s memorandum, seeking some clarifications, he asked what was the difficulty in announcing interim relief and pointed to the largescale destruction caused by the floods that hit several districts, especially in the northern parts of the state.

“I have been in politics for 40 years, I had never seen such large scale floods, coupled with drought in some districts, he said.

As many as 103 taluks of 22 districts were affected by recent floods for which the state government has sought a relief of Rs 38,000 crore from the Centre. Around seven districts were reeling under drought.

Questioning as to why the Prime Minister has not visited the affected areas, he asked, doesn’t Narendra Modi have any responsibility? He would have come if he had cared for farmers and poor.”

Attacking the BJP leaders from Karnataka as coward for not demanding central relief, he said, “According to me none of them has the courage. Our Chief Minister Yediyurappa is the most weakest Chief Minister”

The Congress leader also alleged that BJP was trying for another round of operation lotus (poaching of opposition MLAs), but expressed confidence that none from Congress will leave the party.
Absence and resignation of 17 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs during the trust vote had led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy headed coalition government in July, paving the way for the BJP to come to power.

The then assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar had disqualified the 17 MLAs under the anti-defection law, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court.

Responding to a question about JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowdas reported comments that instead of byelection to the 17 constituencies, there will be early general elections, Siddaramaiah said, it is his calculation, ask him, he is former Prime Minister, it looks like he has more information.”

Siddaramaiah has repeatedly questioned about the Yediyurappa government’s longevity.