HUBLI, October 18: Taking a dig at the State and Union governments, the former Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha president alleged that both governments were “looting the people,” leaving farmers in “great distress”.
He was addressing a huge rally at the Moorusavir Math here on Thursday to press for release of funds towards the crop loan waiver and crop insurance compensation and to press for other demands, including expediting the Kalasa-Banduri Nala Project.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said the State government had indulged in “rampant corruption”, especially through transfers. The government’s recent decisions were “anti-poor and anti-farmer.”
Neither the farmers nor the beneficiaries are getting the benefit of the Re. 1-a-kg rice scheme.
As rice is being procured from other States, farmers of the State are not benefitting from the scheme. Legitimate beneficiaries, who do not have BPL cards, are badly affected, the former Chief Minister said.
Mr. Yeddyurappa claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would not be keeping his post for long, as many differences had cropped up among Congress leaders. They will suffer a huge defeat in the 2014 polls, he predicted.
He said his party would support Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s candidature for the Prime Ministerial post. He would urge Mr. Modi to include the proposal on offering farm loans at 3 per cent interest rate from public sector banks in the NDA’s manifesto. Mr. Yeddyurappa added that he would fight to get interest-free loans for farmers.
The former Chief Minister made an appeal to party workers to “build the party”, and said that a similar rally would be organised at Shimoga on October 21. The party will lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha by month-end, to press for their demands. Another huge rally would be held at Bangalore, “to awaken the State from its slumber,” and meet people’s demands.
KJP leaders C.M. Udasi, Vijay Sankeshwar, Michael Fernandez, S.I. Chikkanagoudar and Baburao Chawan also spoke.
Earlier, a large number of KJP workers led by Mr. Yeddyurappa staged a dharna near the South Western Railway zonal office demanding early implementation of pending railway projects in the State. Apart from Mr. Udasi and Mr. Sankeshwar, leaders V. Dhananjaya Kumar, M.D. Lakshminarayan, Ashok Katwe and others took part.
