Chikkamagaluru: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, slammed the newly elected Congress government in Karnataka, by asking them to either provide free 10 kilograms of rice as promised during the elections or vacate the seat of power.
Speaking to reporters in Chikkamagaluru, Shobha Karandlaje on Wednesday said that the Congress government has to provide a total of 15 kilograms of free rice to the people as the central government provides five kilograms of free rice to states.
She criticized the leaders of Congress for giving false promises for the sake of elections and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take back his statements in this regard.
"Women are asked for certificates to get bus passes. Do I need a certificate to prove that I am a woman?" she questioned.
"For free rice, funds, power, and for everything, fingers are pointed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In that case, why have you (Congress) circulated guarantee cards to people? They have to purchase rice from the farmers of other states and our state and later distribute it to the people here," she demanded.
"We had questioned you (Congress) from where they will bring funds for all these schemes. You point fingers at the central government for everything. Whom are you trying to appease with the schemes? You are demanding the rice which is kept as buffer stock which is to be utilised during the times of drought, floods, war," Union Minister maintained.
The Congress government in Karnataka has launched an attack on the BJP’s Centre for denying the sale of rice through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that BJP is stealing poor man's food and trying to scuttle the Anna Bhagya scheme under which 10 kilograms of free rice will be distributed to every member of BPL card holders’ families.
BJP Karnataka unit has been retaliating and this has resulted in a war of words between the leaders of both parties. Congress had staged a protest against the central government and BJP staged a counter-protest, and some of its leaders were arrested and released later.
With inputs from IANS