Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday flayed opposition parties for questioning the legitimacy of his government and said such criticism is like "ridiculing" the public mandate. He also claimed that his government has in the last seven months boldly faced several challenges and made strong efforts to bring in transparency in administration.
Yediyurappa was replying to the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, in the legislative assembly. The Chief Minister's reply was marred by protests and sloganeering by opposition parties from the well of the House, demanding that they be permitted to raise the issue of BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's "derogatory" comments against centenarian freedom fighter H S Doreswamy.
Even as the Chief Minister read out his reply, the Congress and JD(S) legislators shouted slogans like "jai to freedom fighters", "save democracy and constitution", "down down British agents" from the well of the House.
Stating that he did not like to talk politics while speaking on the Governor's address, but will have to reply to opposition's criticism against his government, Yediyurappa said "in democracy numbers matter, and in this number game our party has won."
Pointing out that by winning 12 of 15 seats in December bypolls "we have proved that public mandate is in favour of our party", he said it was our "moral victory."
"You should be aware that the people of the state are completely with us. In Lok Sabha polls your party had won one seat, we had won 25+1 (one BJP supported independent)," he said, adding that criticism against government's legitimacy is like "ridiculing" the public mandate.
He cautioned that if the opposition continues to indulge in such criticism, people will start taking them lightly. "Because of my concern towards you, I'm giving you this advice," he said.
Calling the BJP government in Karnataka as "child born illicitly from Operation Kamala", Leader of Opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah had said the government in the state did not come to power with the people's mandate, but by engineering the defection of 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators.
Noting that "sustainable development" is his government's priority, Yediyurappa defended his government's handling of drought and floods in several parts of the state soon after coming to power, and said the administration has managed reconstruction and rehabilitation "transparently."
Terming tackling the flood situation as "trial by fire", he asked as to how fair it was to complain about the Prime Minister not visiting the flood-hit areas of the state when Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had undertaken a tour.
He said the loss was estimated to the tune of Rs 35,160.81 crore, and according to the guidelines for relief, a proposal has been sent to the Centre for 3,891.80 crore, and under NDRF Rs 1,869.85 crore has been released by the union government. "More relief was expected."
Highlighting initiatives taken by his government for relief and rehabilitation, especially housing for those displaced, Yediyurappa said the state government under NDRF, SDRF, Chief Minister's relief fund and various departments has released Rs 4,413 crore for relief work and Rs 3,338 crore has been spent.
Citing the government's various pro-farmer initiatives, he declared that priority will be given to agriculture and irrigation sector in the days to come, and steps towards this can be seen in the state budget on March 5.
Suggesting that industrial growth had slowed down in the state for the last couple of years, also affecting employment generation, he said the government is taking "bold" steps in addressing this.
He said his recent visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum meet was "fruitful" and in few a months, investors will "flow" to the state.
The recent investment summit held in Hubballi has "ensured" investment of about Rs 70,000 crore in north Karnataka region. Noting that renaming of Hyderabad-Karnataka region as "Kalyana Karnataka" will help in implementing developmental projects in the backward region which has been given special status under Article 371 (J) of the Constitution, Yediyurappa said Bidar and Kalaburagi airport in the region will spur development in the region.
According to him, the Rs 18,900 crore suburban railways project cleared by the centre will help in easing out traffic congestion in Bengaluru city. The state and centre will invest in 20:20 ratio and 60 per cent will flow in from investors, he said.
Yediyurappa described as historic the decision to declare as regular 10,000 houses that were constructed in encroached government land in Bengaluru. A committee has been formed to stop such encroachments in future.
Accusing Maharashtra of raking up the Belagavi border issue, he declared that not even an inch of state's land will be given away, and Mahajan report was final on the matter. About allegations of discrimination in allocation of funds to constituencies represented by opposition MLAs and projects sanctioned during previous governments being stopped, Yediyurappa said works have been halted as projects were approved without maintaining financial discipline, and it was inevitable. "Step by step the works will be given clearance."
He also said to utilise 'Suvarna Soudha' in Belagavi, where assembly session is held once a year, and to bring administration closer to people, 5-6 government offices will be shifted there.
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