Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah | Image: Image: PTI
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the Congress will come to power again and he will continue to be the Chief Minister for the next five years. The Siddaramaiah was responding to the members of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Assembly, who had come in front of the seat of the Legislative Assembly, alleging that the government has appointed Congress workers as the Chairman and Member of the Guarantee Committee, which is disrespect to MLAs and Legislative Councilors.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashok alleged that the Congress government is setting a wrong example and it will be even more challenging for the next government. The Chief Minister immediately rejected his argument.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “We will not go. We will win again. You cannot win (election). There is nothing to say in this. ‘
Siddaramaiah reminded the opposition that he had recently lost the assembly by -elections in Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur.
He quipped and said, “You guys had challenged us before the assembly elections, do we have courage and strength?” You saw the fate of your challenge. We will return to power again and I will be there (as the next Chief Minister). ”This reply of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has come between him and the state’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar among the power over power.
The Opposition is angry with the appointment of Congress workers as the chairman and members of the guarantee implementation committees and says that these committee members have more hold than MLAs and MLCs in the district administration.
- There are five guarantee plans – ‘Griha Jyoti’ under which 200 units of free electricity will be given to each family, ‘Griha Lakshmi’ scheme under which female head of each family will be given Rs 2,000 and ‘Ann Bhagya’ under which every member of BPL family will be given 10 kg of rice per month.
- Under the ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme, it has been promised to give Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 (in the age group of 18-25) to unemployed diploma holders, and under the ‘Shakti’ scheme, women of Karnataka have been allowed to travel free of free in government non-locksman buses within the state.
- The Congress government has constituted the Guarantee Implementation Committee in all the districts and appointed party leaders and workers to monitor the implementation, which the BJP alleged that it is a violation of the privilege of MLAs by the ruling party and continued its agitation for the second day in the Karnataka Assembly.
The BJP on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, requesting to cancel the state, district and taluka-level committees set up to monitor the implementation of five guarantee schemes of the government under the chairmanship of Congress workers and leaders, described them as “unconstitutional”.
Legislators’ rights will not be cut- Chief Minister
On the uproar in the assembly after lunch, the Chief Minister clarified that the rights of the MLAs would not be cut and their privileges would not be violated.
Siddaramaiah said, “We also respect MLAs and MLC as you do, because I am also an MLA. So I will never do any work that is derogatory.”
He said that the tradition of giving party workers opportunities and ensuring their participation in governance has been from the beginning, which is not a new thing, because the BJP had done the same while in power.
Siddaramaiah told the protesting BJP MLAs, “Is it not an abuse of power, when party workers are made the chairman of the board and corporations? Who pays them?
After this, BJP MLAs shouted slogans, causing the house to become more disorganized. The Chief Minister said, “We will not change the implementation committee, but we will not do anything that insults the MLA/MLC.”
He also asked the protesting MLAs to ask the Deputy Commissioners of the district and the Chief Executive Officers of the Panchayats to give priority to the MLAs and MLC.
BJP MLA Sunil Kumar alleged that the statement of the Chief Minister is different from his orders.
BJP leader R Ashok said that Madhu Bangarappa, the minister in -charge of Shivamoga district, has recently written a letter to the deputy commissioner of the district saying that whatever is the ‘chairman of the development committee’, its instructions should be followed in all schools and colleges.
Ashok alleged, “What is the justification for such orders? Is it not a violation of the privilege of the MLA/MLC? It is a violation, which will be everyday from now on.”
Intervening, the Speaker UT Khadar said that Siddaramaiah has clearly stated that he will instruct the district administration not to do anything that insults the MLAs/MLC.
Khadar said, “You have put up some practical problems presented before the committee. Discuss with the Chief Minister after the session and tell him your problems. He will try to solve them.”
Siddaramaiah promised the opposition MLAs that he would call a meeting after postponing the proceedings of the House on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister said, “If your problems are real then I will try to solve them, but if you say that the workers should not be made the chairman of the guarantee committee then it is not appropriate.”
Ashok said that his party is not against making Congress workers the chairman of the implementation committee. He said that his objection is to give him an office and spend Rs 18,000 to 20,000 per month on him.
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