From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 12: In a sharp response to JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s allegations against the Congress government’s guarantees and his description of them being 'fake', Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said the JD(S) leader "is not a direct beneficiary of any of the guarantees’’ to speak against them and challenged the latter to first visit his own Channapatna assembly constituency to find out the reaction from the people.
"What does he (Kumaraswamy) know about the guarantees to dub them as fake? Is he a beneficiary?’ he asked while speaking to media persons near his residence on Sunday.
Shivakumar said the JD(S) leader does not know anything about the problems and plight of the people to speak ill of the guarantees when the people are reaping the benefits. "He is in the opposition and he has every right to make allegations. But the people are happy about the guarantees,’’ he said admitting that there were some minor problems which have been sorted out.
The deputy chief minister claimed that he himself has personally visited Channapatna and have met and talked to over 25 people there. "Let Kumaraswamy visit his own constituency of Channapatna and ask them whether they have benefited from Shakti, Gruhalakshmi, Anna Bhagya and Gruhalakshmi guarantees before levelling allegations,’’ he said.
Shivakumar said some technical glitches resulted in problems for about 5% of the beneficiaries in availing the guarantee benefits, all of which are being resolved.
He claimed that the Congress party will in all the 5 assembly constituencies in Telangana, where he had campaigned for the party. Shivakumar predicted that the Congress party will form the government on December 9 and will implement six guarantees as in Karnataka’s five guarantees.
He ridiculed Kumaraswamy for his charge that the Congress government has given targets to the ministers to raise money for the elections in the five states and wondered what is the basis for such wild allegations.
"Probably, he himself has set targets,’’ he said asking the JD(S) leader and wishing the newly appointed State BJP chief B Y Vijayendra all the best.
The deputy chief minister extended his greetings to the people and partymen on the occasion of Deepavali festival.