From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 22: In a sharp rejoinder to senior Congress leader and former Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'shani' (ill omen) to the country, BJP leader Bsavaraj Bommai said the Prime Minister would “give boon to people, patriots, youth and women” while is a nemesis for the corrupt and anti-nationals and therefore is a “shani” to the Congress party.

Speaking to media persons, the former BJP chief minister said the people knew well how honest Ramesh Kumar was. ”In fact, Modi has become a Shani for Ramesh Kumar and Congress party as he would not spare corrupt, anti-national and anti-people. But he would give boon to patriots, youths and women. Ramesh Kumar knew well about it.”

He said Ramesh Kumar should think twice before making disparaging comments the Prime Minister, who is a Vishwaguru.

Guarantees are cause for Chombu

Bommai also lashed out at the ruling Congress party’s advertisement campaign against the Modi government for giving “chombu” (empty pot or a derogatory slang) and claimed that the Congress without any preparation has made the state bankrupt in the name of guarantees and the thinking of that party in the finance matter has been very low due to frustration.

He said the NDA has brought in several changes in last ten years. The yardstick for disaster management has changed. There has been increase in the tax portion of the state from the central government. But the state government has hushed up everything and stopped very low to cover up its mistakes.

“The Congress party has become frustrated regarding finance and its leaders were using low level language. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claims that the State had given the tax amount of Rs 4 lakh crore but the state would not get its share in the collection of direct taxes. This has been in practice since the days of the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. This would be applicable only to GST,” he argued.

The BJP leader said instead of blaming the union government, the Congress party must compare the funds and portion in tax collection between the UPA and NDA regime.

During the UPA regime between 2004 and 2014, the state received Rs 81795 crore as it's share in tax collection and Karnataka got Rs 2,82,791 crore from 2014 to 2024 under the NDA regime.

The Congress leaders were claiming that the State was getting four paise under the UPA regime but now Rs 13 in the NDA regime. The state received Rs 60,799 crore central funds during the UPA regime and Rs 2,33,930 crore from the Modi government.

The state has got an interest free loan of Rs 6012 crore for development works which was repayable in 50 years. Before the Modi government, all the states were getting 27 per cent share in the tax collected and they demanded to hike it. But it was not done and Modi increased it to 40 per cent.

Siddu gave Chombu to farmers, dalits

Bommai said the state government was totally bankrupt with no control over the expenses. A whopping Rs 54,000 crore was being spent on guarantees but without any preparation. The tax payers money had been spent on guarantees thus pushing for the economic crisis.

To cover up this, the Union government was being blamed. The state government hasn't distributed crop relief due to drought. Rs 2000 had been given to each farmer out of the central government funds. Let the state government first do its duty without looking at the centre.

He said the state government has stopped paying its share of the Kisan Samman scheme under which the central government give Rs 4000 to each farmer. By doing this, the Siddaramaiah government has given a Chombu' to farmers. The Vidya Nidhi scheme for the children of farmers has been stopped. Rs 13000 crore reserved for the SCs/STs had been diverted for the implementation of guarantees.

Modi's Akshaya Patra

Bommai said Modi has given permanent guarantees to people and through this he has converted the Chombu' into Akshaya Patra. Grants had been given to 9 lakh street vendors, 9 lakh Ujjwal connection, four lakh houses, 12 lakh toilets and free 10 kg rice during the Covid pandemic.