From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Gadag, Dec 17: In a frontal attack on BJP, chief minister Siddaramaiah has dubbed all the Sangh Parivar outfits like BJP, ABVP, Bajrang Dal and its Yuva Morcha are ‘factories of lies’ and asserted that BJP cannot convert India into a Hindu Rashtra.
Addressing the media in Gadag on Sunday, he said, “BJP wanted to make India into a Hindu nation right from the time of its previous Avtar as Jan Sangh as early as in 1950 and the late Pejavar swamiji had gone to the extent of declaring that India can survive only if it becomes a Hindu nation.
But these Sangh Parivar leaders do not understand that India is a pluralistic country where religious communities like Muslims, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and others apart from Hindus live.
Lambasting BJP leaders for spreading what he termed as ‘canards’ about corruption in the Congress regime, he said his government will never remain silent when there are cases of corruption unlike the BJP rule when B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai were in power.
“We are committed to investigate cases of corruption and irregularities if the evidence is provided and punish the guilty,” he declared.
Siddaramaiah promised to investigate the charges by KSRTC bus drivers regarding alleged demands for assigning duty. “Congress rule is not like BJP rule. We are investigating the 40% commission charges against BJP regime and after the inquiry is completed, action will be taken against the culprits,” he declared.
On the caste census, he said it is wrong to term the report as unscientific without even seeing the report, which is yet to be submitted. The question of accepting the report arises only after the report is submitted, he said decrying attempts to speak on the basis of speculation.
The chief minister said the Congress government has spent Rs 73928 crore on developmental works till the end of November while the previous BJP government had spent Rs 70814 crore.
“The Congress government assumed power on May 20 and the budget was submitted in July. The government has already implemented 4 of its 5 guarantees from August 1and the 5th guarantee is being implemented from January 1, ours is a government that keeps its promises and walks the talk.”
The chief minister has released a press statement denouncing the BJP leaders like Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, C T Ravi and others for “spreading misleading information” about him and said, “The deceptive tactic involves circulating an edited video that distorts my statements, falsely implying an admission of the Congress's inability to fulfill promises made in 2023.”
He further said, “Contrary to the manipulated narrative, the unaltered video clearly reflects my remarks in the assembly, holding the BJP accountable for failing to fulfill promises made in their 2018 manifesto, especially the loan waiver promise they had made.”
“I cited the fact that Yediyurappa, in 2009, had stated that they didn't have a printing machine to print notes and lacked the funds to waive farm loans. Yediyurappa had acknowledged that it was not possible for the BJP to fulfill promises made during elections,” he said adding, “The reality is that the BJP did not fulfill promises made in 2008 or in 2018. They did not fulfill more than 90% of their promises made in 2018. This highlights their lack of commitment to their words. They are betrayers and cheaters.”
On the other hand, he said, “We have always delivered as promised. We delivered 158 of the 165 promises made in 2013. Now, we have fulfilled all the guarantee schemes within the first week of government formation and are in the process of fulfilling other manifesto promises. We are committed to our promises. The attempt to manipulate the narrative by presenting a distorted video is a disconcerting example of misinformation that undermines the public's right to accurate information.”
“We urge the public to critically examine the authenticity of information and reject attempts to mislead through edited content. The focus should remain on holding political parties accountable for their actions and commitments, rather than resorting to deceptive tactics,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said, “The BJP is known to spread fake news, and its full form should have been 'Bogale Janata Party.' It is now evident that their entire machinery works to spread fake news. From Narendra Modi to C T Ravi, their agenda is to manipulate through fake news. I dare Narendra Modi to oust Ashwath Narayan and C T Ravi if he stands for truth.”