‘BJP MPs behaving like also-rans, don’t speak up against Centre’: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

SHIVAMOGGA: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday attacked the State’s BJP Members of Parliament, accusing them of remaining silent while the Centre allegedly treats the state with a “step-motherly” attitude. The Deputy CM claimed that the opposition representatives have failed to speak against the Centre.

Shivakumar said that the BJP MPs haven’t raised their voice against the Centre, though the State is being given a step-motherly treatment. Speaking to reporters at the Circuit House, he said, “The BJP MPs are behaving like also-rans (person who lost an election). They don’t speak up against the Centre”.

When asked what he expected from the Union budget, he said, “The Centre hasn’t kept its word.” They promised Rs 5300 crore in the Union budget a few years ago but haven’t released any funds.”

About BJP’s poster campaign and demand for resignation of Excise minister R B Thimmapur, he said, “We have also exposed many of BJP’s scams. There are many allegations against them, including Covid scam. Let’s expose those scams. They are doing campaigns for the sake of politics. Let the investigations get over”.

On extending the special session on MGNREGA, he said, “The CM has made his points on MGNREGA. The Speaker has said that it needs to be placed before the Business Advisory Committee before making a decision. We will present our case for scrapping VB-GRAM-G scheme. No state can implement it in the current conditions. The next 4-5 months are time for cultivation and farmers would been benefited by MGNREGA scheme. Removing this scheme is not helping anyone. Each panchayat is losing Rs 1 to 1.5 crore.”

When asked if the government will pay compensation to those who died due to monkey fever, he said he will look into it.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Shivakumar said that the Congress has decided to name all 6,000 panchayat offices in Karnataka after Mahatma Gandhi. Speaking after participating in Raj Bhavan Chalo, a protest march against the discontinuation of the MGNREGA scheme, he said that Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy will become permanent once all gram panchayats are named after him.

“KPCC vice-president Ugrappa and KPCC office bearers have written to me about this. We have requested the CM about this. By naming gram panchayat offices after Mahatma Gandhi, his legacy will be made permanent. Gandhiji’s conviction was to have a school, cooperative society and a panchayat for every village,” he stated.

“We are fighting for the employment rights of the poor. It was Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh who gave employment to rural people. In 2013, the World Bank had lauded this project. Under the project, Rs 6000 crore was being spent in around 5700 panchayats,” he added. (ANI)