The chief minister’s heart went out at the Sadhana Samaavesha, a programme organised to celebrate the BJP government’s achievements over the past two years, not just to the battle that must be waged to curb it at the lower levels of government, but also to the farmers whose land must be acquired to make way for investors.
Voice choked with emotion, cheeks glistening with his own tears, Yeddyurappa’s impassioned 35-minute speech to the gathering of BJP leaders, senior government functionaries and officials was sought to deflect attention from the Lokayukta’s statements that clearly pointed to instances of corruption and lack of transparency in the higher echelons of the government.
“There are many people to talk about corruption at the higher levels. But who is there to address the issue of corruption at the lower levels,” Yeddyurappa asked the gathering.
Wiping off the tears with a white kerchief, the chief minister said: “Every beneficiary of Bhagyalakshmi scheme gets more than Rs 1 lakh at the age of 18 years. But if somebody at the lower level demands Rs 2,000 as bribe to pass on the benefit, where would the poor parents raise money from? They will be left with no choice but to beg.”
The chief minister’s ambitious Bhagyalakshmi scheme is aimed at fighting female foeticide and empowering poor parents by issuing insurance bonds for the girl child.
There has been criticism that though 9 lakh beneficiaries have been identified, the bonds have not yet reached them.
No sooner had the tears dried up than Yeddyurappa said he was “prepared to write out in his blood” that his government would not betray the trust of the people, especially the farmers whose land he sought to usher in greater investments in the infrastructure sector.
He repeatedly reminded the audience that he was a farmer’s son and would never ignore the welfare of the farming community. “Farmers do not get two meals even after working hard through the day. I have made it compulsory the rendering of Raitha Geete, penned by Kuvempu, during all programmes,” he said.
Scope for improvement
While admitting that there was scope for improvement in public works, Yeddyurappa appealed to BJP workers to remain vigilant so that corrective measures are taken when the schemes are launched.
But more tears rolled down Yeddyurappa’s cheeks when he found that none of the Opposition party leaders had turned up at the Samaavesha celebration which was inaugurated by senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
“Why does the Opposition often demand my resignation? They are not tolerating my work. Why are they misleading the public by making false accusations against me? What wrong have I done,” the chief minister asked, indicating the deep sense of hurt at the absence of leaders from other parties to a government function.
Desisting from announcing any new programmes, the chief minister said if he did so the Opposition would demand their immediate implementation. He, however, promised to usher in administrative reforms.
The Samaavesha, which projected Yeddyurappa’s achievements, reverberated with his slogans and chants of his name. Not just Swaraj, other BJP leaders like M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar also showered effusive praise on the chief minister, referring to successful programmes like Bhagyalakshmi, Vajpayee Arogya Sree, Bhoochetana and the Global Investors’ Meet.