Bengaluru, May 18 (DHNS): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday hit back at JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s comment that he would tonsure his head if the Yethinahole drinking water project is completed in three years.

Reacting to queries from reporters at the sidelines of a function in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah, said, “What is there to tonsure. There should be hair on the head.”

Kumaraswamy on Saturday in Kolar had accused the State government of misusing funds meant for Yethinahole project and had challenged that he would tonsure his head and take political retirement if the project was completed within three years, as assured by the chief minister.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah affirmed that he had given preference to the Ahinda sector in the last three budgets but that did not mean he was against other communities.

In an interaction with the media last week, on the completion of two years of the ruling Congress regime in the State, Siddaramaiah said he had given preferential treatment to “Ahinda” sector (minority, backward classes and dalits) and he was not ashamed of it.

Speaking at the silver jubilee function of the Padmashali Mahila Sangha on Sunday, Siddaramaiah said his statement on Ahinda was being used against him by his detractors.

“Our government is for social justice and equal opportunities for all. The government’s scheme of providing free rice to the poor and milk to school students is not restricted to Ahinda sector,” Siddaramaiah said.