Bengaluru, Apr 5 (DHNS): The State BJP on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should tender an apology for misleading the State Legislature on devolution of funds to the State from the Centre.

Addressing reporters, MLA C T Ravi accused the chief minister of deliberately giving wrong information to the Legislature. Though the Central grants to the State has increased by Rs 5,500 crore in 2015-16 fiscal year, the chief minister has claimed that Karnataka had got about Rs 1,000 crore less compared to 2014-15 fiscal, he added.

The party has, therefore, decided to move a breach of privilege motion in the Legislature against Siddaramaiah. “It is unbecoming of a chief minister to mislead people. It is an insult to the people of the State. He (the chief minister) should tender an apology, he said.

The party will also demand a white paper on the issue from the government, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, had in a public rally in the City on Friday, said that his government had increased the grants to the State by 200 per cent. However, there has been cut in the Centre’s contribution to certain Central schemes. Of the total 66 Central schemes, the share has been reduced with respect to 24 schemes. It has been done because these schemes were contractor-oriented and not people-oriented, Ravi added.

The political resolution passed in the national executive meeting speaks about how the Centre is encouraging the states in development. Niti Aayog has been set up to promote co-operative and participatory state-Centre relations. The Centre has increased the share of states by over 10 per cent. “Growth doesn’t happen in Delhi. Growth occurs in the states,” it stated.

Journo’s question irks minister

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was visibly irritated at a statement made by a journalist against the NDA government.

Briefing the media primarily in English, due to the large contingent of national media and her struggle with Hindi, Sitharaman was posed a question in Kannada on the Centre withdrawing funds for several Centrally sponsored schemes.

Questioned as to why the BJP leader was not talking about the ‘vanchane’ (meaning injustice) done by the Centre, despite two State leaders - Suresh Kumar and C T Ravi - sitting by her side knowing about it, Sitharaman lost her cool.

In a raised voice, she said, “Do not speak about injustice. The Centre is not into injustice to the states. We believe in co-operative federalism. So, do not speak about injustice,” said Sitharaman, wagging her finger at the reporter. And finally, the journalist did not get a reply to his question.