From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 27: Taking pot-shots at Congress Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, the State JD(S) President and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy held the former Congress Chief Minister squarely responsible for the present communal strife and vitiated atmosphere in Karnataka.
Speaking to media persons in Kolar on Sunday, the JD(S) leader blamed Siddaramaiah-led Congress government for the present situation of preventing non-Hindus, especially Muslims, from carrying out trade in the Hindu jatras and temple premises and also for the hijab controversy taking an ugly turn.
Kumaraswamy also blamed the former Congress Chief Minister for the collapse of his coalition government with the Congress party and thereby paving the way for the birth of the BJP rule in the State.
“I reluctantly accepted the Congress party’s unconditional offer of support to form the government even though I was not prepared for it and have burnt my fingers. Even in 2004, we had extended support to Congress. But we were humiliated and the decisions that we took were mainly because of the scheming by Siddaramaiah,’’ he accused.
Kumaraswamy lashed out at Siddaramaiah for his ‘’false propaganda’’ alleging that JD(S) was ‘’BJP’s B Team’’ in the 2018 polls and because of this BJP secured 105 seats, which otherwise would have been hardly 75.
The JD(S) leader said the Congress leader had a ``secret understanding and adjustment with BJP’’ and alleged that he was behind the recent communal clashes and disturbances in the State.
“Both BJP and Congress are the two faces of the same coin. There is no difference in their policies and they do not want people to live peacefully and are playing dirty political games,’’ he alleged and claimed that people have become wise and would not tolerate such callous behaviour.
BJP planning to advance assembly polls
The JD)S) leader said the ruling BJP was preparing for advancing the Assembly elections early and claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, touted as BJP’s ‘’Chanakya,’’ is touring the State to prepare the ground.
“We are ready for elections and fight on our own whenever they are held, be it in December this year or in May next year,’’ he asserted.
Kumaraswamy criticised the Congress party for its Mekedatu padayatra. The foundation stone for the Yettinahole project was laid at Chikkaballapura in 2014. “On that day, I was in Kolar and had publicly announced that I would shave off my head if water was supplied within a year. Today, it is 2022 and Yettinahole project has not progressed. How many more years are needed for supplying water,” he asked.
The original estimate of Rs 8,000 crore for the Yettinahole project when the foundation stone was laid has gone up to Rs 24,000 crore. The final cost is still not known, he said attacking the government for dropping the original proposal of building 10 tmcft capacity storage dam at Devarayanadurga and changing it to 5.6 tmcft at Bhairagondlu later. Now, it has been reduced to 2 tmcfft.
“How are the people of Kolar and Chikkaballapur getting the originally promised 5 tmcft each of water,” he asked.
Kumaraswamy also lambasted the former Congress Speaker Ramesh Kumar, without naming him, for his grandiose promise of bringing water to Kolar under the K C Valley project and said people cannot be fooled by such gimmicks.