Bengaluru, Oct 20 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s position was under threat due to rebellion within the ruling Congress and accused him of repeatedly blaming the Centre out of desperation.
Reacting to Shivakumar’s statement that the BJP was not cooperating with the state government’s efforts to convene an all-party meeting on the sugarcane farmers’ issue, Vijayendra said the Chief Minister’s chair was shaking amid growing dissent within the Congress party.
“You have been observing the developments surrounding the sting operation. Congress leaders are rebelling against CM Shivakumar. In this background, he is repeatedly complaining against the Centre out of desperation,” he alleged.
Vijayendra said the BJP would discuss the proposal to join the all-party delegation to Delhi with the Leaders of Opposition and senior party leaders before taking a decision.
“We will sit with the Leaders of Opposition and senior leaders and discuss whether to join the ruling party’s delegation to Delhi over the sugarcane farmers’ issue,” he said.
Clarifying the BJP’s stand, Vijayendra said the party would continue in the Opposition for the remaining one-and-a-half years of the government’s tenure, and has no intention of destabilising the Congress government.
“The BJP is in the Opposition as per the mandate of the people. We will remain in the Opposition for another one-and-a-half years. There is no need for us to destabilise or bring down the Congress government. Senior leaders within the ruling party are preparing to rebel against CM Shivakumar. What I am saying is the truth,” he claimed.
Expressing concern over the plight of farmers, Vijayendra said agricultural communities across Karnataka and the country were facing severe distress and appealed to the Almighty to come to their rescue.
“Since the Congress came to power in Karnataka, farmers have been in deep trouble. The financial situation of the state is deteriorating, and people are fed up with the Congress government,” he alleged.
Pointing to the condition of roads in and around Bengaluru, he said public dissatisfaction with the government was growing. He also accused the state government of failing to deliver on development, drought management and welfare measures.
“Even after three-and-a-half years, development has not taken off. Today, persons with disabilities are on the streets demanding their pensions. The government has forgotten its priorities and is unable to think and act,” he alleged.
Vijayendra further accused the state government of merely writing letters to the Centre, blaming the Union government and then remaining inactive instead of addressing people’s problems.
He also criticised the Congress government for raising the issue of delimitation and alleged that it was creating unnecessary confusion among the people while the Centre was examining the matter.
On drought management, he charged that the state government had failed to provide adequate relief to affected people.
Turning to the sugarcane farmers’ agitation, Vijayendra credited the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government with introducing measures to support sugarcane growers and the sugar industry.
He said the Centre had introduced the minimum support price (MSP), created opportunities for ethanol manufacturing and brought in policies to facilitate value addition in the sugar industry. He also pointed to financial assistance extended to the sector, claiming that these measures had been taken by the NDA government.
Vijayendra said the present agitation by sugarcane growers was primarily over alleged irregularities in the weighing of their produce at sugar factories and injustice in the assessment of sugar recovery rates.
He said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had held a meeting with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and that a committee had been constituted to examine the issue. The committee’s team was visiting Karnataka, he added.
“The Centre is examining possible solutions because the issue is not confined to Karnataka alone. The interests of farmers across the country and the international market must also be taken into consideration,” he said.
–IANS
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