Belagavi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday blamed the BJP-led Union government for the steep rise in prices of essential commodities such as fuel and cooking gas and questioned the BJP’s moral authority to criticise the Congress government in Karnataka. He also held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for a four-fold increase in the national debt since assuming office.
Speaking to reporters at the Belagavi airport, Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP’s ongoing Jan Aakrosh Yatra across the state as a diversionary tactic.
“It is the BJP government at the Centre that is responsible for the price rise. The prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG have gone up despite a significant drop in international crude oil prices. During Manmohan Singh’s tenure, crude oil was $120 per barrel; today, it’s down to $65. Yet, the price of a gas cylinder has more than doubled from ₹400 to over ₹800,” he pointed out.
Targeting Prime Minister Modi, he added, “When Modi took office, the country’s total debt stood at ₹53 lakh crore. Now, it has crossed ₹200 lakh crore. Who is responsible for this four-fold increase?”
Siddaramaiah also hit back at the BJP’s criticism of the state’s financial position, saying the previous BJP government approved projects without budgetary allocations. “Now they’re lecturing us. If the state is facing financial strain, it’s because of their mismanagement,” he said. “Despite their talk of a financial crisis, we have increased this year’s budget by ₹38,000 crore. Does that look like bankruptcy to anyone?”
Responding to former CM Jagadish Shettar’s allegation that the caste census is politically motivated to retain the CM’s post, Siddaramaiah said, “The caste census was a promise made by the Congress. It is essential to understand the economic and social conditions of each community. Even the courts have sought such data.”
He assured that the survey was conducted in a scientific manner. “About 1.01 crore people took part, and 1.36 lakh teachers—most of them from the general category—were involved. The survey achieved 95 percent accuracy overall, with 98 percent in rural and 96 percent in urban areas. The report will be tabled in the Assembly after it is discussed in the Cabinet,” he said.
Reacting to the Maharashtra government’s plan to construct a building in Belagavi, he said the Karnataka government has also built a Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, which is permitted under the federal system. “However, Maharashtra cannot encroach upon our land. Under no circumstances will we give up Belagavi,” he asserted.
The CM also said the state government has constituted the Nagamohan Das Commission to study internal reservations among Scheduled Castes and has directed it to submit its report within two months. “There are 102 castes within the SCs, including Adi Dravida, Adi Andhra, and Adi Karnataka. This survey will help clarify how each is classified,” he explained.
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