Siddaramaiah confronts Centre on K'taka flood relief; chides CM BSY over appeal to PM

Against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Karnataka, the bickering over the flood relief fund resurfaced. Former Chief Minister and current leader of opposition Siddaramaiah launched an all-out attack against the Modi-led central government, accusing them of step-motherly treatment towards Karnataka in not releasing sufficient funds for relief and rehabilitation program in the state. 

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"In August, there were floods in Karnataka, PM Modi didn't visit the state then. People faced many hardships and are still suffering. He tweets for the smallest things and could have at least tweeted in solidarity with people in Karnataka who were reeling under the worst floods in over a century but he didn't do that then. The loss caused by floods as per my knowledge is over Rs 1 lakh crore. After three months, they've just give 1200 crores", he said. 

This came a day after chief minister BS Yediyurappa too made an appeal to PM Modi in Tumakuru, on stage, to release funds for relief programs. ‘700 villages inundated by Karnataka 's worse flood in 115 years which caused Rs 30,000 crores of loss. Houses had collapsed, roads were submerged and people faced many problems. I have brought this to PM Modi's attention already and sought his help 3-4 times. But so far we have not received much in terms of compensation. I fold my hands and request for more funds’. 

Siddaramiah even confronted Yediyurappa and repeated his earlier stated taunt of him being the 'weakest CM in the history of the state.’ "That's why I call Yediyurappa weak CM. Yesterday he said we have got no compensation for flood relief and claimed that we have asked for Rs 36,000 crore as compensation fund from the Centre but has received less than Rs 1,500 crores. As the Prime Minister, he should at least address this issue seriously. This shows how much neglect and disgust he has towards Karnataka and its people". 

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The former CM also alleged that PM Modi is trying to dislodge Yediyurappa and earn him a ‘bad name’ which is why he is not even giving the Karnataka chief minister an appointment to meet with him and discuss the issues of the state. ‘He had said if BJP is in power at the centre and state doors of fortune of the state will be opened. People trusted him and gave 25 seats in Lok Sabha polls. But now he doesn't even open the doors of his house to his party leaders’.

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