Gowda slams Siddu for politicising rice issue

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Chamarajanagar: Contradicting Congress leaders’ accusation that the BJP is anti-poor and is denying rice for the Anna Bhagya scheme, former chief minister D.V.Sadananda Gowda said the Government of India has said no to selling around 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice to Karnataka, considering the country’s food security.

The decision to not sell rice applies to all states and is not restricted to Karnataka alone. This was decided much before the Congress Party came to power in the State. Despite knowing this, Congress leaders enacted a big ‘drama’ and held protests across the State only to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gowda claimed.

The former CM said the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly should have been elected much before the commencement of the State Legislature but got delayed due to the party’s defeat in the Assembly polls. The Opposition Leader would be selected before July 3, he said adding that a leader capable of taking on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar would be selected.

The national leaders are aware of it and a suitable decision would be taken soon. Ruling out Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha’s charges of a tacit understanding between BJP leaders and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Gowda said the BJP never believed in such ‘shortcuts’ and the party would have got a majority if it did this.