Deve Gowda allying with anti-Karnataka BJP, says Siddu

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday hit back against JD(S) national president HD Deve Gowda, adding that he had allied with the BJP, who allegedly oppose the interests of Karnataka.

Deve Gowda had remarked a day prior that they would break Siddaramaiah’s “arrogance”, adding that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had the solutions for the country at the national level.

Siddaramaiah insisted that it was not his arrogance but rather just “pride of Kannadigas”.

“Despite my political differences with Mr Deve Gowda, I respected his stance on protecting our land, water, and language. However, in the last 10 years, the BJP Government under Narendra Modi has consistently acted against Karnataka's interests, opposing our state flag, imposing Hindi, and being unfair in the Cauvery, Krishna, and Mahadayi water disputes, and deceiving Kannadiga youth in central institutions. Despite these betrayals to Karnataka, when you claimed that Modi and Shah have the solutions to all of India's problems, didn't it prick your conscience?” Siddaramaiah said.

“There is no excuse for the injustices done by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in the distribution of taxes, returning only thirteen paise for every rupee contributed by Kannadigas to the central treasury. Regional parties in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal are vocally criticising the Union Government's injustices. However, the regional party JD(S) in Karnataka has betrayed Kannadigas by compromising with the opponents of our land, water, and language,” he added.