JDS will corner BJP govt on flood relief management: Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Oct 4: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday said JD(S) will corner the BJP government both inside and outside the assembly over flood relief and "delay" in securing funds from the centre.
The JD(S) patriarch claimed a larger opinion was getting shaped against the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, with even staunch BJP and RSS supporters expressing strong displeasure over its "conduct" and "inaction" on the part of party MPs from the state, over the delay in central relief.
Pointing out that he has come through struggle in his long political career,he said JD(S) would take out a padayatra on the flood relief issue here on October 10, in which party leaders, including himself and former MLAs, zilla and panchayat members, would take part.
"It will be a peaceful protest," he told reporters.
Gowda said party MLAs and Kumaraswamy would raise the issue in the assembly."We don't have any problem in passing of any bills (budget related), but issues should be discussed."
BJP governments at the Centre and the state have been facing flak from Congress and JDSover "delay" in grant of central funds, despite HomeMinister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and the Inter-ministerial central team visiting the affected regions.
The Opposition has accused the Modi government of showing "apathy" towards Karnataka, despite the state sending 25 BJP MPs to the Lok Sabha.
Gowda said expectations that the union cabinet meeting on Thursday would result in some announcement for the flood ravaged state had proved in vain.
He said the discontentment has reached such a level that somestaunch RSS and BJP supporters themselves have charged their party MPs from the state of not doing their duty.
"Is there anything more for me to say?", he asked.
Gowda claimed that the general opinion of the people and even in the media was that the Central government was not cooperating with the state.
Citing media reports that the Centre has sent back a report on flood and rain related damage, stating that it was not proper, Gowda said this has happened for the first time.
"If the report was not okay, at least the interim relief should have been announced...what is the trouble in that?"
Karnataka has sent a flood damage estimate of Rs 35,160.81 crore to the centre and is awaiting the relief.
As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts were affected due to floods in August, in which over 80 people were killed.
Around seven lakh people were shifted to safe areas and thousands of houses were damaged.
Gowda also made it clear that he would not meet the Prime Minister over release of central funds for flood relief as he has not received any reply to earlier letters,seeking Rs 5,000 crore as immediate relief.
"Parliament session is coming up in November... I will write another detailed letter, seeking funds...I too know the financial situation is not fine...but people in distress need help," he added.
Pointing out that most states, from Bihar to Kerala, have been affected by floods, Gowda regretted that Modi has not carried out an aerial survey.
"PM is busy, I can understand. I don't want to speak on the Prime Minister's visit to foreign countries and his visits to poll bound states... but most parts of the country are affected," he said.
Gowda pointed out that the Modi government came to power with a huge mandate and with a lot of support from the youth.
"But what happened?Were jobs generated? HAL employees are protesting, BSNL situation is also bad...
"I think they (BJP central leaders) think that whatever they do, people are with them. Opposition parties are also not strong," he said, adding people of this country were mature and would teach them a lesson "at the right time."
Pointing out that the three day assembly session has been convened from October 10 for budget related business,he asked why the government was not extending it to discuss various issues.
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Tharoor junks Rijiju's claim that he agreed Cong is 'anti-women'; hails his party
New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday debunked Union minister Kiren Rijiju's reported claim that the opposition party leader had agreed that the Congress is "anti-women", asserting that at no point did he imply any such thing and that his party has stood for women's rights and reservation.
Reacting to Rijiju's claims, Tharoor stressed that the Congress is totally in favour of women's reservation and prepared to have it implemented right now -- without linking it to delimitation.
In a post on X, the Congress leader said, "I am sorry, but with the greatest respect for Kiren Rijiju, at no point did I say or imply any such thing -- and I have seven witnesses in the photograph who can confirm that!"
"'That was what he meant', our Minister says. No, sir, that is NOT what I meant. 'That Congress can be anti-women...he agreed in a way,' he added. I am sorry but I did NOT agree in any way," Tharoor said.
"The Congress has stood for women's rights and women's reservation under a strong woman president in Sonia Gandhi, initiated the Women's Reservation Bill, passed it in the Rajya Sabha during our tenure and supported it in the Lok Sabha when it was brought by government of India in 2023," he said.
"We are totally in favour of women's reservation and are prepared to have it implemented right now -- without linking it to delimitation," the Thiruvananthapuram MP added.
Rijiju's reported comments came while narrating details of the conversation he had with Tharoor on April 18 after the end of the three-day special sitting of Parliament during which the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
Tharoor on April 18 had shared a snippet of his conversation with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, and said the BJP leader conceded that “no one could ever call me anti-women”.
Tharoor had said women are by far the better half of the species - 'Humans 2.0' - and deserve representation in Parliament and in every institution.
"Just don’t link their advancement to a mischievous and potentially dangerous Delimitation that could devastate our democracy," he had said on X.
Sharing a picture of some opposition MPs standing with Rijiju in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor had said, "A little post-adjournment gathering of Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha with our charming Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
"When Kiren Rijiju explained why he and his party were calling the Opposition 'mahila virodhi', it was pointed out to him that no one could ever call me anti-women! He conceded the point…"
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
The Bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and UT assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
The three-day special sitting was convened from April 16 to 18 to secure Parliament's approval for the Bill.
After the bill was defeated, the Congress had said the "nefarious attempt" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to link their "dangerous delimitation proposals" to women's reservation had been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha, calling it a win for democracy and the Constitution.
I am sorry, but with the greatest respect for @KirenRijiju, at no point did I say or imply any such thing -- and I have seven witnesses in the photograph who can confirm that!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 28, 2026
"That was what he meant", our Minister says. No, sir, that is NOT what I meant. "That Congress can be… https://t.co/hkUsYgOY7a
