BJP and JD(S) slam Siddaramaiah for 'regressive' budget
Bengaluru: The opposition BJP and its ally JD(S) on Friday walked out of the Karnataka Assembly and staged a demonstration near the Mahatma Gandhi statue against the 'anti-farmer' and 'anti-women' budget of the Congress government.
They raised slogans outside the Assembly Hall against the budget saying that it shows the state's coffers are empty.
They also sang a song in chorus saying, ''Enilla, Enilla, Siddaramaiahana budgetinalli Enilla.'' (There is nothing in Siddaramaiah's budget).
Speaking to reporters, the BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said the budget tabled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who holds the Finance portfolio, is anti-farmer. It has nothing for the development of the state and that it will take the state 20 years back, he added.
''If I have to say something in one sentence then, Siddaramaiah has wasted his time to escape from his responsibility and to cover up his failures. He has ruined the sanctity of the budget,'' Vijayendra said.
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The BJP state chief alleged that the budget has not given a single rupee to North Karnataka.
Stating that the farmers were in distress due to acute drought in the state, Vijayendra said, ''They (farmers) were expecting some relief from the budget but it did not happen. It will not help women as well.'' Pointing to the failures, the Shikaripura MLA said Siddaramaiah had spoken about weavers in the party manifesto but he did not even mention them in his budget, let alone announcing any project for them.
The Congress had promised to increase the monthly pay of Anganwadi workers and assistants in the manifesto, which was also not mentioned in the budget, he charged.
''This budget has disappointed everyone including the SC/ST communities. It will not complement the development of the state. Despite such a severe drought, the Chief Minister did not announce any loan waiver. It will not be wrong to call it a black day as it did not benefit any section of the society,'' Vijayendra said.
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who also accompanied the BJP legislators, said, ''Siddaramaiah has laid the foundation for the 'Vinashakaala' (destructive time) of Karnataka through this budget. He has vented his anger against the seven crore people (of the state).'' Opposition Leader in the Assembly R Ashoka said Karnataka will become ''bankrupt like Pakistan'' with this budget.
However, former minister and BJP MLA S T Somashekar, who is cozying up with the Congress leaders, hailed the budget for its provisions for Bengaluru.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
