Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday took a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleging that he was behaving like the Roman emperor Nero at a time when the people of the state are suffering from drought.

Siddaramaiah government seems to be making a mockery of the drought situation in the state and the sufferings of the people, the former chief minister said, as he accused it of being immersed in “campaign fairs” by holding conventions using taxpayers money.

“There is a drought, unheard of in the history of the state. Water scarcity has worsened. People and cattle are suffering to get water. Despite this situation, the Congress government is spending crores of rupees of taxpayers money into guarantee conventions. Shame,” Kumaraswamy said in a statement.

“Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Siddaramaiah you are our Nero. Zero for the state. You are not worried about the people, you are only worried about the election,” he said, adding that the people of the state would ensure that this “election worry” becomes detrimental to the Congress party and its government.

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The ruling Congress, banking on its implementation of five ‘guarantee’ schemes to garner votes in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, is holding a series of ‘Guarantee Samaveshas (conventions)’. One such meeting is being held in Mandya today.

Alleging that the government does not have Rs 2,000 to give to each drought-affected farmer, but there is enough money to hold guarantee conventions, the state JD(S) chief asked, “What kind of Siddanomics (term earlier coined to describe Siddaramaiah’s approach towards the state finances) is this, Mr Siddaramaiah?”

Questioning the many “thousands of crores” that have allegedly been spent on these guarantee conventions and advertising in almost a year, he urged the government to be accountable to the people.

“If necessary, issue a White Paper on the amount spent for propaganda on guarantee schemes and conventions,” he said, as he insisted that people should know the truth.

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New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.

The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.