From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Kalaburgi, Feb 6: Warmly welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to State for two official programmes in Bengaluru and Tumkur on Monday, former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked answers to his 21 questions during his speeches.

“I am happy that the Prime Minister Narendra and Home Minister Amit Shah, who had forgotten the existence of Karnataka so far, have remembered the State and making repeated visits ahead of the State assembly elections for inaugurating most of the projects which had been almost completed during the Congress rule,’’ and wondered if it was ‘part of the moral politics’.

Siddaramaiah said: “I wish to ask 21 questions on behalf of the people of Karnataka with the earnest request for answers during the Prime Minister’s speeches.’’

The 21 Questions:

1. You are attending the India Energy Week programme in Bengaluru and may speak about the production of unconventional sources of energy. When Congress came to power in the State in 2013, 4,500 mw of solar and wind power was being produced. When the government’s term came to an end, the State’s production of unconventional sources of energy rose to 14,000 mw. The total power production in the State was 14,825 mw in 2014 and it rose to 28,000 mw in 2018. Who should get the credit for this achievement?
2. Karnataka’s power consumption is 11 to 12,000 mw. Is it not possible to utilise the surplus power production ate in the states in north? Instead of doing so, why is your government using JCBs, Hitachis and Dynamites to blast the sacred mountains in Himalayas? Isn’t this a rape of the sacred rivers of Ganga, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Saraswathi, Gomti and Sindhu? I urge you to immediately put an end to the assaults, rape and atrocities against our Shudra god Shiva in the holy places bearing his name? The Congress government has written the prelude to supply as much power as you need and you can lay power transmission lines to supply this power. Why not do this?
3. Your government has made it possible for 28 fraudsters to flee from the country after availing lakhs of crores of loans from our banks. Of these 28 persons, as many as 27 are from Gujarat. Is it deliberate or incidental?
4. You have made it possible for the businessmen from your state to flee from the country after sending our nationalised banks like State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and other institutions to bankruptcy. Is it correct to merge banks from the State like State Bank of Mysore, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank with banks on verge of bankruptcy to loot their enormous assets to set right the situation? Isn’t it an injustice to Karnataka?
5. It is reported in the media that you have written to banks to lend to an ‘’anti-national entrepreneur like Adani’’ and please clarify if it is true? Is it correct that you had written to SBI to extend Rs 7,500 crore loan to Adani for mining activities in Australia?
6. I have been repeatedly stating that unprecedented corporate corruption is taking place under the Modi rule, which has not been seen any other country. You may have heard my remarks. But no steps to set right have been taken by you. The country is forced to bow its head in shame due to you authoritarian policies. Adani has shamed the entire country and he claims Adani is India and India is Adani. Isn’t this shameful?
7. All leading financial institutions including LIC, which have been trusted by the poor and middle classes, have extended over Rs 2.5 crore loans to Adani and because of this one person’s fraud, the financial institutions are driven to bankruptcy. If it happens, it will be a grave injustice to poor and middle classes. Will you and your government shoulder the responsibility?
8. Adani’s over Rs 72,000 crore loans have been written off till 2017. Don’t you feel this is illegal?
9. When Dr Manmohan Singh government waived over Rs 70,000 crore farm loans, you and your BJP leaders had attacked the then UPA regime. Don’t you feel it was wrong or whether the conscience of your party leaders had died?
10. You travelled in the aircrafts of the anti-national fraudster Adani for your election rallies. In which part of river Ganges you are going to wash your sins?
11. You allotted most of the country’s ports and airports as well as SEZs near the ports. Lakhs of crores worth of ganja and other narcotics were detected in Mundra port in Gujarat operated by Adani. Are you going to bear the blame for destroying the lives of our youth or passing on to Adani?
12. Media is claiming that Afghanistan has become a haven for narcotics and yet your government has provided financial assistance, foodgrains etc to the Taliban regime. Is it is merely because of humanitarian considerations or diplomatic niceties or to encourage the drugs business of Adanis-Ambanis? Will you answer to the people?
13. The BJP governments, which are factories of lies, have been propagating that Karnataka has been provided with crores of assistance. Your government has been looting Rs 4 lakh crore from the State in the form of taxes, cess and surcharge till 2023. Karnataka should get 42% of share from its revenue contribution or Rs 1.70 lakh crore. But your government is providing a pittance of Rs 37,000 crore and therefore you owe Rs 1.33 lakh crore to the people of Karnataka. Your government is keeping another Rs 2.30 lakh crore and the total amount due to state is Rs 3.63 lakh crore. Is this not injustice to State?
14. After keeping Rs 3.63 lakh crore of revenue from the State, the announcement of Rs 5,300 crore to Bhadra project and Rs 7,000 crore for railway projects is an insult to the 7 crore Kannadigas. Railway projects in the state are languishing and there are no allocations for Tumkur, Rayadurga, Davanagere and other projects. Isn’t this an insult to Karnataka?
15. Apart from the injustice and hardships to the State, your government has ordered the closure of VISL in Bhadravathi. Should we shout Modi, Modi for your contributions?
16. The production of Rafale fighter jets has been given to Anil Ambani with hardly any expertise in aircraft manufacturing depriving HAL the honour? Is this your contribution to Bengaluru?
17. Tumkur is a district known for its arecanut and coconut cultivation. The copra prices have plunged to rock bottom. Why your government is silent?
18. The arecanut prices have become far lower than in past few years. Still your government is importing arecanut from Bhutan. Is this fair to our farmers?
19. Tumkur district is also known for millet cultivation. But your BJP government promised Rs 10,000 to millet producing farmers and has lowered the amount to Rs 6,000, which is also not paid properly. The farmers are unable to produce even 3 to 4 quintals of millets in acre of land. Instead bragging about millets in foreign countries, what has your government done to our farmers growing millets?
20. The diesel price had crossed Rs 100 per litre from Rs 47 per litre under Manmohan Singh rule. It has now around Rs 90 per litre. The cattlefeed has become costlier from barely Rs 300 to Rs 400 per bag five years ago to Rs 1,400 per 45 kg bag. The farmers are suffering and why the government is not doing anything about it?
21. Your BJP government is supposed to have spent Rs 7,200 crore to fill up the potholes and has spent Rs 9.2 lakh to fill up a single pothole. Will you order a probe into this daylight robbery? Or will you simply say, Na Khaavoonga, Na Khaane Doonga, and fly back?

Siddaramaiah said he has many more questions to ask on behalf of the people and want answers. `”As I know you will coming again and again till the elections, please answer the 21 questions for the present. If you don’t answer and remain silent, I take it that you accept that you and your government has cheated people,’’ he said and declared that the “People will give their own answers to you and your party.’’