Attack on Rahul Gandhi shows security system failure: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

CM Siddaramaiah said, 'It is the duty of the Government of India and Assam State Government to give proper security to him as there is a threat to the Nehru family. It is a violation of their duty.'

Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the attack on Rahul Gandhi in Assam indicates the failure of the security system.

He was speaking to media persons at the helipad of 'Central School for Tibetans' ground at Bylakuppe camp 1 of Periyapatna of Mysuru district on Wednesday.

CM Siddaramaiah said, "BJP leaders are deliberately creating problems for the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' of Rahul Gandhi. It is against the provisions of the Indian Constitution. Every citizen has got a right under the Indian Constitution to take out 'Padayatra' or protest against any Government."

He added, "Rahul Gandhi has taken up Padayatra in the entire Country to understand the problems of people of this Country and to find out the solutions for them. It is the duty of the Government of India and Assam State Government to give proper security to him as there is a threat to the Nehru family."

"It is a violation of their duty. Assam CM was in the Congress party and went to BJP and became CM of Assam. In order to woo PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, he has done it. Instigating such an act is against the Constitution. A CM should not behave like this. I strongly condemn this," he said, referring to Himanta Biswa Sarma's actions.

Regarding rumors on Jagadish Shettar going back to BJP, CM Siddaramaiah said, "Shettar himself has cleared that he would not go to BJP again and would not quit Congress at any cost. It is just the BJP which is creating such publicity," he said.

DCM D K Shivakumar added, "Many BJP leaders are meeting Shettar and requesting him to get back to the party. It proves how weak they are. Don't they have candidates? We made H D Kumaraswamy as CM to keep BJP away from the power during previous term. But now H D Kumarswamy is embracing the same leaders, who removed him from CM's post, in order to make B S Yedyyurappa as CM. There is a lack of leadership in both JD(S) and BJP," he said.

Regarding delay in the drought relief fund, CM Siddaramaiah said, "When we met the PM and Amit Shah, they assured us of holding a meeting on December 23, but they are yet to do it. They called for a meeting once, but it was postponed. During his recent visit to Bengsluru, I even reminded PM Narendra Modi about it and told him that the farmers are in crisis and urged him to get the funds released," he said.

CM Siddaramaiah also cleared that in case the Lok Sabha election is announced, model code of conduct will not come in the way of release of drought relief fund.

He also informed, "We have released Rs 550 Crore in the first phase, to give Rs 2000 of input subsidy to farmers for crop loss suffered during drought due to deficit South West Monsson rainfall. We have managed to ensure there is no problem for drinking water so far," he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later inaugurated the project to lift water from Cauvery river near Muththinamulusoge in Piriyapatna taluk to fill 150 lakes of 79 villages at an event organised by Water Resource Department and Cauvery Neeravari Nigam at the ground of Bharath Matha school in Koppa of Periyapatna taluk of Mysuru district on Wednesday.