CM Siddaramaiah calls HDK anti-poor for speaking against Congress' guarantees
Bengaluru (PTI): Accusing JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy of hating the poor, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the voters will teach his party as well its ally BJP a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections.
In a message on micro-blogging site 'X', formerly Twitter, Siddaramaiah hit out at former CM Kumaraswamy.
"Why do you hate poor people? It has become a habit for you to talk bad about our guarantee schemes which are dedicated to uplift the poor families. Your baseless opposition means opposing the upliftment of poor families. It is time to introspect your intent," the Chief Minister said.
Shri @hd_kumaraswamy avare,
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 13, 2023
Why do you hate poor people? It has become a habit for you to talk bad about our guarantee schemes which are dedicated to uplift the poor families. Your baseless opposition means opposing the upliftment of poor families. It is time to introspect your…
Siddaramaiah said crores of people are benefitting from the guarantee schemes and those celebrating these schemes include the voters of BJP and JD(S).
He even asked Kumaraswamy to go to the villages and talk to the beneficiaries there.
The guarantee schemes are mainly designed to benefit the poor people of the state. It is neither a tax waiver to help the rich, nor is it a loan waiver scheme, Siddaramaiah pointed out.
The Chief Minister took a dig at Kumaraswamy for not speaking against the Centre. Instead, he has made the task of opposing guarantee schemes as his motto, he charged.
"You're attacking me on a daily basis with false accusations. If criticising me gives you peace of mind, please continue. I can understand your disappointment and frustration after the election defeat,"
Siddaramaiah quipped.
According to the Chief Minister, the entire country is laughing at the hypocrisy of the BJP.
"Until recently, the BJP, which used to make fun of all such schemes, including guarantee schemes, as "freebies', has included all such "freebies' in the election manifesto of five states. But now, Kumaraswamy
doesn't have the guts to question this hypocrisy of the BJP," Siddaramaiah said.
Guarantee schemes were part of the Congress party's election manifesto and people gave his party the mandate based on the promises, he added.
Siddaramaiah warned Kumaraswamy for speaking against the guarantees.
"If you continue to oppose the guarantee schemes, the wise voters of the state will teach both BJP and JDS parties a lesson in the next Lok Sabha elections as well," he said.
Kumaraswamy has been critical of the Congress government saying that its guarantees are not being implemented in toto and are flawed.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
