‘With people’s blessings, Devaraj Urs’ record will be broken’: CM Siddaramaiah

MYSURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that with the blessings of the people, the record of former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs would be broken, asserting that political records are meant to be surpassed as times change.

Addressing reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said Devaraj Urs hailed from Mysuru district, and so does he. “With the blessings of the people, his record will be broken. There is no comparison between me and me. The situation was different then, and it is different now. Circumstances brought me this far”, he said.

Recalling the 1983 Assembly elections, the CM said that people had supported him by contributing money and votes, while Devaraj Urs became the Chief Minister during a different political phase. “Records are there to be broken. Anyone can break them in the future. In cricket, Sachin Tendulkar’s record was broken by Virat Kohli. Similarly, someone may come in future who will become Chief Minister longer than me and present more budgets”, he remarked.

On the proposed convention to mark 1,000 days in power, Siddaramaiah said no final decision had been taken and noted that Krishna Byre Gowda had stated he will organise the programme. Commenting on the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, the Chief Minister said he would discuss the matter with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “He said he would call me in January. If he calls, I will go,” he said.

On the Ballari issue, Siddaramaiah said the BJP was demanding a probe by a sitting judge. “The police are investigating the matter. Let the report come first, then we will decide what kind of investigation is needed,” he said.

Responding to criticism of the VBG RAM G Guarantee, the Chief Minister said, “Ram is not Ram” in this context, and reiterated that changes to MNREGA were unwarranted. He added that 40 per cent state’s share would place a Rs 3,000 crore burden on the state government.

Expressing concern about rising human-wildlife conflict, Siddaramaiah said the tiger menace in and around Mysuru was on the rise due to a growing tiger population. “Tigers are coming out of the forest. One was even sighted at the airport today. I have instructed officials to catch it immediately. The operation has started, and I have told them to release the tiger into other forests,” he said.

On the recent blast incident involving helium gas near the Mysuru palace, the Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly criticised the Modi government at the Centre over the VB G RAM G Act, alleging that it has systematically weakened village-level governance and damaged the rural economy by diluting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

He said the UPA government under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had empowered citizens through landmark legislation, including the Right to Employment, Right to Information, and Right to Education.

The Chief Minister stated that the new law was introduced in Parliament on December 17 and passed the very next day, without adequate discussion. He added that across the country, around 12.16 crore workers depend on NREGA, of whom 6.21 crore are women, about 17% belong to the Scheduled Castes and 11% to the Scheduled Tribes.

In Karnataka alone, there are 71.18 lakh NREGA workers, including 36.75 lakh women, accounting for 51.6% of the workforce. He alleged that the present central government is dismantling the pro-people laws to benefit corporate interests.

The CM further said that under the earlier Act, employment was guaranteed locally, enabling rural asset creation and strengthening village economies, and workers had a legal right to demand employment for at least 100 days a year, but these guarantees have now been removed. (ANI)