Bengaluru: Declaring the beginning of its battle against the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, the BJP Wednesday said it would continue the fight till the H D Kumaraswamy-led administration is brought down and people get justice.
Attacking Kumaraswamy on farmers’ issues, the state BJP chief and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa claimed that the Congress too was regretting its decision to support him, just to keep BJP out of power.
“You speak about BJP that has 104 MLAs, lightly. Kumaraswamy, from 10 December assembly session will begin in Belagavi. As a responsible opposition, it’s our duty to keep before people your political drama and the developmental work you have done so far,” Yeddyurappa said.
Addressing a protest meeting here, he said the BJP would organise a “huge” agitation by gathering over one lakh farmers, at Belagavi. “For the last five months we kept quiet, with an intention to give time to the new Chief Minister, but now after six months people are not ready to tolerate any more. We have given you enough time,” Yeddyurappa said.
Alleging that the Kumaraswamy government has failed on several fronts, he said “our fight has begun from today, ..until we bring you down from power and send you home. Unless over 6.5 crore people of this state get justice, our fight will continue.”
Extending its full support to the farmers’ cause, BJP held agitations across the state, at all taluk and district centres Wednesday to highlight the issues that are before the state, and against Kumaraswamy’s “derogatory” remarks against a woman farmer.
Farmers have been protesting in Belagavi for the last few days demanding clearance of their pending arrears by sugar factories for the cane supplied and announcement of purchase price for sugarcane for the current season.
They had intensified their protest on Sunday by ‘gate crashing’ their loaded trucks into ‘Suvarna Vidhana Soudha’, the legislature complex in northern district, protesting Kumaraswamy cancelling his scheduled visit to meet ryots.
In a strong reaction, Kumaraswamy had described those who barged into the legislature complex as “goondas” and accused them of defaming the entire farming community. Also, Kumaraswamy’s remarks against a woman farmer while questioning her ‘silence’ in the last four years on the arrears issue and her farming background had evoked sharp reaction from her.
Noting that no Chief Minister in the past had made such comments against protesting ryots and a woman farmer, Yeddyurappa said, it was “inexcusable” and an “insult” to women. Reminding Kumaraswamy that JD(S) has only 38 MLAs, Yeddyurappa asked whether his party – the BJP that has won 104 seats – should remain silent looking at all your “drama” and acts of “arrogance?”
He said in a democracy, the people’s verdict was final. “For your capability you have only 38 seats. Congress has given you support and made you CM, just because they did not want BJP getting power, but they too are regretting now,” he said.
Kumaraswamy has no “moral right” to run the government sitting in Vidhana Soudha, he said, as he attacked Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, for supporting a government that was leading the state towards a “bad” situation.
Accusing the Chief Minister of neglecting public good, Yeddyurappa alleged he has failed to mobilise resources and the government had become ineffective.
“There is drought in over hundred districts. None of your ministers have gone there, you have not given compensation, not even a pie has been released to any legislator for developmental works in the last six months. You have also failed in utilising funds given by the Centre,” he said, while promising to raise the issues concerning people both inside and outside the assembly.