Cong & BJP trade charges as rice politics in Karnataka heats up

Bengaluru: The rice politics in Karnataka heated up with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accusing the Centre of creating obstacles to supply rice for its poll guarantee of 10 kilograms rice to each member of the BPL family under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme.

Siddaramaiah said Karnataka is not demanding rice for free as the state is ready to purchase it.

To this, the state unit of the BJP hit back saying Siddaramaiah was intentionally creating confusion whereas the fact was that the Centre had promised to give only 5 kg rice free of cost, which it is doing.

BJP stalwart and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa warned that his party will not accept if the Congress government gave even “one gram less” than the promised 10 kg rice under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme. CM Siddaramaiah alleged: “The Central government is doing politics. We had written to them (Food Corporation of India) on June 9 that they should give us 2.28 lakh metric tonne rice. They answered on June 12 that they will supply the same. However, on June 14, the MD and the chairman of the Food Corporation of India wrote to us that it cannot give us rice.”

“What should we conclude if they agree on June 12 saying that they have seven lakh metric tonne of rice and later deny that they don’t have rice?” Siddaramaiah questioned.

When asked why he should not speak to the Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, Siddaramaiah said if the FCI officials had told him to speak to the minister then he would have done that.

“But when the FCI officials had agreed for rice, why should I speak to others? They are giving an excuse today that we did not speak to him (Goyal),” the Chief Minister charged.

He emphasised that technicalities should not be important for a programme meant for poor people. “Why creating obstacles in poor people’s programme?” he sought to know.

To a question whether he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah said his visit to Delhi is on June 21 when Modi will not be in town and hence the meeting will not happen. However, he expressed his wish to meet the Prime Minister once Modi returns from the foreign trip.

Regarding procurement of rice directly from other states, Siddaramaiah said Andhra did not reply yet whether they can provide rice to Karnataka. Speaking to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in this regard did not yield any result either.