Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Leads Protest Against Modi Govt, Claims No Aid Released For Drought Relief

Congress protest came ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Bengaluru. Other Congress leaders who participated in the protest include Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with party MP Randeep Surjewala and other leaders, staged a protest in Bengaluru on Tuesday, accusing the central government of not helping the state with financial assistance even as it battles its worst drought in decades. The protest came ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bengaluru.  

Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka's farmers were suffering because of the drought, and blamed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "not providing drought relief" to the state. He alleged that the Centre is giving the state "stepmotherly treatment".

"Farmers are suffering due to the drought. So far, we have disbursed Rs 650 crore to our farmers. Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Modi are the reasons why Karnataka has not been given relief,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, Randeep Surjewala, AICC general secretary and in-charge of Karnataka, said the Modi government was "seeking revenge against the farmers and people of Karnataka by not releasing drought funds". He called it a huge injustice, adding that Amit Shah didn’t have the right to step into Karnataka without releasing funds.

“Amit Shah is coming today; he has no right to set his foot on the soil of Karnataka, without releasing Rs 18,172 crore (drought relief assistance sought by the state,” Surjewala was quoted as saying by ANI. “How can Amit Shah come to Karnataka without releasing our money?” 

Union Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to campaign in the Bengaluru South constituency on Tuesday. BJP's Tejasvi Surya, the incumbent MP, is seeking re-election from the seat against Soumya Reddy of the Congress.

Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said the state went to the Supreme Court and the Modi government agreed to release compensation this week. "We are in severe drought, 95% of Karnataka is in severe drought. We have had no rain for the last 10 months. So, why has PM Modi not given us compensation?"