CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of 'misinformation' on urea shortage in Karnataka
Mandya (Karnataka), Jul 28 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused the BJP of "misinformation" on urea, and pointed fingers at the saffron party-led government at the Centre for inadequate supplies.
Noting that he had written to the union government demanding immediate supply of fertilizer to the state, citing increase in acreage under sowing due to early monsoon, he urged the BJP leaders to speak to the union minister and ensure supplies, instead of holding agitation.
Speaking at a mega convention organised by the Karnataka government in Maddur of Mandya district, where development works were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid, the CM asserted that the Congress will come back to power in the state in the 2028 Assembly polls.
"The BJP indulges in misinformation...there is no shortage of fertilizers, but the central government has not been able to supply the required quantity of fertilizers," Siddaramaiah said.
He said the Centre should have supplied 6,80,655 MT of urea to the state, but they had supplied only 5,16,959 MT.
"I have written to the Centre. This time, the monsoon started early. Farmers have increased sowing acreage for which fertilizer is required and I have urged the Centre to supply," he added.
The BJP Kisan Morcha (farmers' wing) on Monday began its week-long statewide protest accusing the state government of creating "artificial shortage" of urea in various parts of Karnataka because of its "mismanagement", which has led to "panic" among farmers. The party also alleged brokers and traders of holding stocks.
Accusing the BJP of using the urea shortage issue for politics, the CM said, "Should we learn a lesson from BJP or B Y Vijayendra (state BJP President)? When his father B S Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister, as fertilizers and seeds were not supplied on time, farmers had held protests, which led to Golibar, killing two farmers. They (BJP) should be ashamed. They had in the past killed two farmers."
He further claimed that there is no supply of urea and other fertilizers like DAP (Diammonium phosphate) in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. It is the central government's responsibility to supply fertilizer. The state government job is only to distribute it, Siddaramaiah said.
"They (BJP) are saying they will hold an agitation in the state. Instead of doing politics, BJP leaders -- Vijayendra, R Ashoka and MPs should go to Union Minister J P Nadda and get fertilizer to the state," he said, noting that it has been a couple of days since he wrote a letter to the central minister, but still there is no response to it, nor there is any supply of fertilizer.
Despite the BJP's political tactics in the 2028 Assembly polls, the Congress will win, the CM asserted, and said, "In Maddur, Congress MLA K M Uday will win once again."
"I don't know what happened in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. H D Kumaraswamy (of JD(S)) won from the Mandya Parliamentary seat. He is now holding an important Ministry in the union government. Let him ensure supply of fertiliser to Karnataka. Instead they (opposition BJP and JDS) want to hold agitation. This drama... won't go on for long," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy, ruling Congress MLAs and ministers were present at the event.
Noting that his government has launched development works worth over Rs 1,146 crore in a single day, Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP for spreading false information for the sake of politics that the government has no money. If there is no money, would it have been possible to launch development works worth crores of rupees?
In two years, the Congress government has done a lot of development work. "There is no evidence for any development work in the four years of the BJP government's tenure," the CM said.
"The BJP's other name is lies, and lies is the family deity of BJP people," he said.
The CM highlighted his government's efforts in restarting the Mandya Sugar Factory, starting agriculture college in Mandya, and grants released for these purposes.
Asserting that during both tenures of his administration (2013-18 and from 2023 till now), he worked for poor, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, woman and labourers, and has given various programmes for their welfare, the CM said, "Our intention is to eradicate inequality, caste and class system, and establish a system, where there is equal opportunity for all".
With this in mind, five guarantee schemes are being implemented at the cost of about Rs 55,000 crore per year. The government is ensuring that money under these schemes directly reaches the accounts of the beneficiaries, without any middleman, he said.
"The per capita income has increased in the state because of this. Karnataka has recorded the highest per capita income in India today.....also women have become self-reliant because of our guarantee schemes," he added.
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Nightclub fire: Goa court remands Luthra brothers in police custody for five days
Panaji (PTI): A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.
The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration” claiming poor health.
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“We said they should not be given any extra relaxation,” he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of “25 people in the form of mass genocide”.
“But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don’t require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused,” said Joshi.
A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.
The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.
After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court.
The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.
Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.
After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.
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The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.
They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.
