SHIMOGA, Apr 26 (The Hindu): Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa asked the Opposition leaders here on Sunday evening not to inject politics in development of the State.

He said: “It appears that the Opposition leaders who are evidently jealous over the rapid implementation of the development works are making needless and meaningless criticism in a no-holds barred manner. It cannot go on for long.”

The Chief Minister expressed his ire over the manner in which leaders of the Opposition were criticising his Government. He was inaugurating the several public projects such as the private bus-stand, second phase of the Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) and the Suvarna Samskritika Bhavan.

He said: “A prominent leader says that I suffer from lack of experience. What is it that an experienced leader like him has done to the State?,” he asked and said: “If an inexperienced Chief Minister like me can turn out so many development works in a record time without compromising on the quality of work you could well imagine what would happen if I gain experience.”

Stating that it was for the people and not the Opposition leaders to judge the performance of his Government in two years, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that Opposition leaders would do injustice to truth if they kept on making reckless and irresponsible criticism against him and his Government.

Irrelevant statements

Lashing out at a leader (Mr. Siddaramaiah) who presented the State budget five times for stating that the financial position of the Government was in a precarious condition, Mr. Yeddyurappa said such criticism was irrelevant when the Reserve Bank of India and the Planning Commission had appreciated the Government's fiscal management and the mobilisation of the resources. He said it was unfortunate that he kept on criticising on this matter even after the relevant facts and figures were placed before the Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the previous government spent nearly Rs. 3,000 crore for washing coal for the generation of thermal power for nearly three years while his Government could save Rs. 500 crore every year by using the coal directly without washing it which should put the financial management of his Government in the correct perspective.

He sought to know from his detractors whether the “enlightened” citizens of Bangalore voted his party to power in the BBMP blindly without appreciating his Government's contribution for the development of Bangalore in the last two years.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said that if the previous chief ministers and the ministers concerned had made efforts with genuine concern for development, the very picture of Karnataka would have changed for better.

“If it is possible for us to achieve the all-round progress in the last two years why was it not possible for them to achieve it?,” he asked and said he would leave it to the people to judge his performance.

The Chief Minister said: “I am capable of reacting to the criticism by leaders of Opposition in the same manner. But I do not want to precipitate the matter. I want people to say frankly to such leaders that they would not tolerate their conspiracy against my government.”

Shimoga MP B.Y. Raghavendra said that the Centre had sanctioned FM radio facility to Shimoga city which would be introduced soon.

Minister for Public Works C.M. Udasi, Minister for Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda and Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board D.H. Shankarmurthy spoke.

BJP State unit president K.S. Eshwarappa presided over the function.