From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Jan 24: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly cricitised Assam government for deliberately obstructing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s popular Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and termed it ‘’unconstitutional’’.
"Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was a former Congress leader and has been rewarded by BJP for joining the party with his supporters to enable the formation of a BJP government. He is deliberately creating problems and obstructing Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra to please his Delhi bosses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah,’’ he said speaking to media persons at Periyapatna near here on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah said Modi and Shah have not responded to letters written to them about the Assam government’s deliberate attempts to obstruct the peaceful Nyay Yatra.
The chief minister said: “Every citizen has a right to wage any kind of protest against any government as long as the protests are peaceful. Rahul Gandhi has every right to undertake padayatra. He is touring the State to understand the problems of the people and find out solutions. BJP or the governments in Delhi and Assam cannot prevent Rahul Gandhi from undertaking the Yatra.’’
Siddaramaiah said the entire country knows that the Nehru-Gandhi family is facing threats and it is the duty of the Indian Government and Assam Government to ensure proper protection. ‘’Both the Modi regime and Assam Government have failed to give protection. It is nothing but dereliction of duty,’’ he said.
Shettar will not return to BJP
The chief minister asserted that senior Congress leader Jagadish Shettar, who had served as chief minister under the BJP's regime and Opposition Leader before joining the party, will remain in the Congress party.
‘’He (Shettar) is a senior Congress leader and the party respects him. When Shettar lost in the Assembly polls, Congress party made him an MLC,’’ he said and accused the BJP of ‘’intentionally floating rumours about his return to the party.’’
"Shettar will not return to BJP under any circumstances and will stay in the Congress,’’ he said condemning BJP for its campaign to denigrate him.
Centre hasn’t responded on drought
The chief minister said the Centre had sent a study team to study the drought situation in the State in October after repeated requests and following personal meetings with Modi and Shah, the Centre had promised to convene a meeting on December 23 to release funds to the State.
‘’I have brought this matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Karnataka and have brought to his notice about the problems faced by farmers. I have urged Modi to immediately release funds for drought relief works, which Karnataka is entitled to,’’ he said.
He said the State Government has already released Rs 550 crore to help the farmers and ensure water supply and fodder and compensation to farmers have been released in the first instalment. All steps will be taken to help the farmers and prevent them from migrating to other regions.
The chief minister said he was extremely happy to know that former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, who had undertaken pioneering work to empower the backward classes was being honoured posthumously with the country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.
‘’Karpoori Thakur had provided reservation to the backward classes on the lines of Karnataka in the 1970s. He was regarded as Bihar’s Devaraj Urs,’’ he
said. The chief minister later inaugurated the water storage facility at Muttinamulusoge for filling up water 159 tanks of 79 villages in Periyapatna taluk in the district.