Siddaramaiah writes to Stalin, requests Shivakumar to attend anti-delimitation meeting in Chennai
Bengaluru, Mar 13 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday extended support to the DMK-led opposition against the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies and requested his Deputy, DK Shivakumar, to attend the meeting in Chennai to discuss the issue.
In his letter dated March 13 to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Siddaramaiah stated, "Although I would like to participate in the meeting, due to my prior commitments, I am unable to do so."
He also said, "I have received your letter dated March 7, which raises crucial issues regarding the autonomy of states, with serious implications for the principles governing our polity. In particular, the issue of delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies based on new population benchmarks needs to be discussed at length by like-minded states."
Acknowledging the importance of the March 22 meeting, the Chief Minister stated, "I have requested Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to participate in the deliberations."
On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K Ponmudy and Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Abdullah Ismail met Siddaramaiah at his residence, Cauvery, to discuss the ongoing protests against the "anti-democratic and anti-Southern stance of the central government."
During the meeting with the DMK delegation, the Chief Minister condemned the Centre’s alleged attempt to "weaken democracy and federalism."
The DMK has been reaching out to leaders of various parties, including those within the NDA, such as Chandrababu Naidu, to discuss the delimitation issue.
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If you have a conscience, apologize to the people: R Ashoka slams Yathindra over Nalwadi comparison
Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.
