BJP was not interested to make Yediyurappa CM, claims Siddaramaiah
Slams Nalin Kumar Kateel for blaming him over DKShi's arrest by ED
Bengaluru: Raising questions about the BJP government's longevity in Karnataka, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday claimed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is like an "unwanted child" as his party's central leadership was not interested in him taking the top job.
The former chief minister alleged Yediyurappa came to power through the backdoor without the public mandate.
"He has come to power through the backdoor without public mandate and against principles of democracy.. They did not have public mandate as they had only 105 MLAs out of 113 required for simple majority," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking at the Congress office here, he said the party would have had no objection if he had become Chief Minister with the mandate of the people.
"Unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yediyurappa has become CM without public mandate...How long he will be CM I don't know...Yediyurappa is like an unwanted child, BJP had no interest in him becoming CM..," the congress leader claimed.
Siddaramaiah on several occasions recently had predicted the imminent fall of the Yediyurappa government, leading to mid-term polls in Karnataka.
Following the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, Yediyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister on July 26, and subsequently he proved majority on the floor of the assembly on July 29.
Absence of 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs during the trust vote had led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy headed coalition government and helped BJP come to power.
Siddaramaiah, who is the leader of the Congress legislature party, accused Yediyurappa of indulging in transfer of officials and vendetta politics since taking over.
"Has he done anything else? People are suffering due to floods, still no proper relief has been given to them," he said.
People would teach a lesson to those practising such politics, he said, noting that he was Chief Minister for five years, but never indulged in such things.
Pointing out that Yediyurappa on the first day after taking over as Chief Minister had said he will not indulge in hate politics, Siddaramaiah said, "It now looks like he said it to indicate that he will do it (hate politics). For public consumption he said- he will not indulge in hate politics, but other than that he has not done anything else."
However, if there was any irregularity or corruption it needs to be inquired into and guilty must be punished, the former Chief Minister said.
The state government had recently ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities of Rs 921 crore in the Krishi Bhagya scheme, when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister.
The objective of the scheme was to sustain agriculture round the year in the arid zones of the state and ensure regular income to the cultivators.
Siddaramaiah also hit out at BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel.
Kateel had reportedly alleged that the former Chief Minister was involved in framing cases against senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar, unable to digest his growth in the party.
"Income Tax and ED is under whose control?.. Out of political malice such statements are being made, with an intention to create trouble.
I don't know why BJP has made such a person without basic knowledge or understanding, who does not know about countries and states politics as party president," he added.
Siddaramaiah pitched for ballot papers against the electronic voting machines and said all parties have to fight for it.
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Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
