Hubli (Karnataka). Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was opposing the guarantee schemes of the Congress government as they empower all sections of the society economically and socially. Siddaramaiah said the BJP wants the poor and weaker sections to remain the same so that it can “exploit” them. The Chief Minister said, “BJP opposes the guarantee schemes, because the government is benefiting all sections of the society economically and socially through the guarantee schemes. We want to empower people through social justice, so that backward communities can come into the mainstream.”
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he said, “BJP leaders do not want equality, they want inequality and want to keep the poor poor. That’s why we call them anti-poor. BJP exploits the poor and weaker sections. When you get power, how can they exploit you? Therefore BJP does not want people to get strength economically and socially.” Siddaramaiah has made this comment regarding his government’s plans at a time when the war of words is going on between the leaders of Congress and BJP at the state and national level over election promises.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday had hinted at revisiting the ‘Shakti’ scheme, under which all women in the state are provided free bus travel facility. Siddaramaiah said that the Congress government is fighting to get justice from the Centre. The Chief Minister said that the 16th Finance Commission had recently visited Karnataka. “We (Karnataka) have faced injustice from the 15th Finance Commission,” he said. We (the state) pay more than Rs 4.50 lakh crore tax every year, we get Rs 55,000-65,000 crore. Is this correct?” Siddaramaiah claimed that no BJP leader is speaking against the injustice being done to Karnataka.