Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday (February 11) challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to participate in a public debate, while claiming that he could prove that the state’s treasury is not empty because of the guarantee schemes. Amit Shah arrived in Mysuru this morning and visited Chamundeshwari temple in the Chamundi hills and attended a fair before participating in meetings with state BJP leaders to discuss preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Retorting to Shah’s alleged claims that the Karnataka government’s treasury is empty because of the guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah said, “If this is Amit Shah's firm opinion, he should participate in a public debate with me. I can prove that our treasury is not empty because of the guarantee schemes, and instead, there is an unfair distribution of taxes from the Centre to the state. This is also a challenge to Amit Shah”.
CM attacks BJP
He also accused the BJP leaders of attempting to “destabilise” the guarantee schemes of his government and questioned if they possessed hatred for the people of Karnataka.
"If there are any objections to the guarantee schemes, BJP leaders should clearly state their opposition immediately, and announce that all guarantee schemes will be discontinued in the states governed by the BJP. Why are BJP leaders trying to destabilise guarantee schemes in Karnataka? Do they harbour hatred for the people of Karnataka," Siddaramaiah asked.
The chief minister also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "stealing" the state's guarantee schemes, including the word 'guarantee' and "advertising" it under the same name, despite allegedly opposing them.
(With PTI inputs)
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