Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje/Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Updated

Mangaluru, Nov 19: Criticising Prime Minister over the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday November 19 said that the move, even though a welcome step, showed lack of foresight and concern for the poor and the farmers in the way it was implemented.

Addressing 'Congress Nadige Surajyada Kadage', the Congress convention held as part of the inaugural of the centenary year celebrations of Indira Gandhi at Nehru Maidan here, the CM said, "We welcome the demonetisation move but oppose the lack of foresight due to which the people of this nation are suffering. Modi in his speech said that he has spoilt the sleep of black money hoarders but in reality, he has ruined the sleep of the poor, farmers, small vendors and many other weaker sections of the society.

"Today, because of demonetisation, farmers are not able to pay their debts, and private hospitals are not accepting old currency notes. If Modi had the foresightedness of Indira Gandhi, then the nation would not have been in this crisis situation. The Prime Minister and his government are responsible for this crisis," he alleged.

Lauding former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said, "Indira Gandhi was one of the best Prime Ministers our country has ever seen. She is known as the Iron Lady by the people of this nation. When she got Bangladesh freed from Pakistan, Vajpayee called her 'Durga'.

"Jawaharlal Nehru who was PM for 17 years laid the foundation for modern India. Indira Gandhi also followed in his footsteps and by nationalising the banks in 1969, brought great changes in the nation's economy. Until then, only capitalists could enter banks, but after the nationalisation, even the poor, the farmers got access to banks and were able to avail loans from them. Even though Indira Gandhi faced a lot of opposition, she implemented many pro-poor schemes in the interest of the weaker sections of society. Even Narendra Modi tried to do something like that through demonetisation.

"Indira Gandhi was not only a national leader but a world leader as well. She made the whole world look towards India. It was during her tenure through green revolution that she made the nation self-reliant for food. Taking inspiration from here, even my government is trying to bring in similar pro-poor schemes. Out of the 165 promises made in the Congress manifesto, we have fulfilled 125 in the last three-and-a-half years. A loan of Rs 45,000 crore has been availed by farmers in the state, out of which Rs 35,000 crore is from commercial banks, and rest from cooperative societies. I had requested the centre to grant a 50 percent loan waiver to farmers while offering to bear the remaining 50 percent from the state government, but the centre did not agree," Siddaramaiah said.

Calling for peace and harmony, the CM said, "Our party workers should be really careful about the BJP. The BJP does not want the welfare of farmers and the poor, instead in the name of Hindutva its leaders are trying to divide the society. Even in Dakshina Kannada they are trying to do the same thing.

"We are celebrating Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary as Bhavaikya Dina (Unity Day). This nation does not belong to any one religion. According to the Constitution drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar, this nation belongs to people of all religions, castes and creeds. The real sense of independence is when there is social and economic freedom, where all the people of this nation live in peace and harmony. This is the aim of Congress party," he said.

Interest-free loans to self-help groups

Siddaramaiah in his speech announced interest-free loans to women self-helf groups and increase in the subsidy to milk producers.

"All women self-help groups were being given loans at 5 percent interest. Today I announce interest-free loans to them. We will discuss the matter and issue the order shortly.

"In Karnataka, about 72 lac litre of milk is produced and the government was giving Rs 4 as subsidy per litre, which was a burden of Rs 3 crore on the exchequer every day. As there is drought in the state, we have increased the subsidy and made it Rs 5 per litre," he informed.

PM should apologise to people: Dinesh Gundu Rao

In his address, minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Indira Gandhi tried to bring the poor and the downtrodden into the mainstream. Today the developments we see is not because of any one person, but due to many leaders who have contributed for the development of this nation.

"The current Modi government is not in support of the poor and the farmers, but in the interest of big capitalists and industrialists. The BJP government at the centre tried to enforce the land acquisition bill to help the industrialists. By not releasing funds to the MNREGA scheme, the centre tried to end it, but after the Supreme Court intervened, funds were released.

"In the last two-and-a-half years PM Modi has not done a single work in the interest of the poor and the farmers. If you look at the past seven years, this year very less number of jobs were generated. Modi promised to bring black money from abroad but today people are forced to stand in long queues to withdraw their own money. About 55 people have lost their lives because of demonetisation. The PM should apologise to the people of this nation," he demanded.

"If we talk against the Sangh Parivar and the BJP, they brand us as 'anti-nationals'. We do not say that RSS people are anti-nationals. It is not right on our part to say so because they are also citizens of this nation. It is just that we do not accept their ideology," Rao added.

Modi govt spoiling economy built by Indira Gandhi: Parameshwar

Home minister Dr G Parameshwar address said, "In just a week, PM Modi is spoiling the economy that was built by Indira Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh and Narasimha Rao. We are not against demonetisation but against the problems it has created."

He further said, "Indira Gandhi's 100th anniversary will be celebrated the entire year by the AICC. When I told district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai that many big leaders have emerged from Dakshina Kannada but the district had no proper Congress office, he readily agreed to build the new office and did so in 11 months. I congratulate him on building such a wonderful office.

"We the leaders of Congress become panchayat members to chief minister but we should always give back to the party for the benefits we get from it. Rai has done that. He has wonderfully organized this convention here. Chief minister has given a message to the PM that people should survive, and that the poor of this nation are in a bad state. The PM should solve the menace created by demonetisation soon," he said.

Rai takes dig at RSS

Earlier in his welcome address, Rai took a dig at RSS and said, "The RSS never refers to this ground as Nehru Maidan, and instead calls it Central Maidan. Hence, I asked the city corporation to install a Nehru statue. Let us see what the RSS will do now."

Former minister K H Muniyappa, ministers, MLAs and several Congress leaders and party workers were present. As expected, senior party leader Janardhan Poojary did not turn up.

The chief minister paid a floral tribute to Indira Gandhi's portrait and also unveiled a newly-installed statue of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Maidan.

Earlier Report

Mangaluru: Siddaramaiah inaugurates new Congress office, party hopes to win next polls

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Nov 19: The newly-built district Congress office, located at Mallikatta here was inaugurated by chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday November 19. The office, named 'Indira Gandhi Janma Shatabdi Bhavan', marks the 100th birth anniversary celebrations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

After the inauguration, the Congress held a press meet addressed by home minister Dr G Parameshwar in the presence of the CM and senior Congress leaders.

"I congratulate district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai on this new office. The building has come up in just 11 months and it is meant to strengthen the Congress party. The land has been given by the state government to the Congress on lease and we thank the government for that," Parameshwar said.

"It has been built very systematically. Let the various wings of Congress like NSUI, INTUC, Youth Congress, Women's Congress, and other wings come together and work unitedly in this building.

"I hope that because of this office, the Congress wins more number of seats in the 2018 Assembly elections," he added.

"Ramanath Rai had asked for two to three months more for the completion of the building. But to mark Indira Gandhi's 100 birth anniversary celebrations, the work was expedited and now the office has been inaugurated in a simple way."

"We also congratulate CM Siddaramaiah on behalf of the Pradesh Congress committee and the district Congress committee," Parameshwar said.

In reply to a question, Parameshwar said presently the Congress has its own offices in 13 districts, and in other districts where Congress owns land, the respective party presidents have been asked to construct the party offices.

Ramanath Rai welcomed the gathering. 

As per rough estimates, the new office cost about Rs 4 crore.

Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and U T Khader, former minister K H Muniyappa, KPCC vice-president B L Shanker, MLAs J R Lobo, Mohiuddin Bava and Abhaychandra Jain, MLC Ivan D'Souza and other Congress leaders were present.