Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has flayed the BJP for playing ‘vendetta politics’ over the rice crisis.
Karnataka Congress’ poll manifesto promise to provide free rice to its people by 1 July was dashed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), making Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launch a scathing attack on the BJP for playing vendetta politics over the rice crisis. However, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has grabbed the opportunity and agreed to supply rice grains to Karnataka. As per political experts, all this is because AAP wants Congress to support them in the National Capital of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance issue.
As all major Opposition parties across the country met in Patna for the much-hyped meeting on 23 June by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, all eyes would be on the AAP-Congress dynamics and it would be interesting to see if Congress decides to back AAP on the Ordinance issue after the possible “rice bag” deal.
In Karnataka, the politics over rice has been heating up for a long time. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar have accused the central government of doing politics of favouritism. Amid such a situation, Shivakumar made a big statement about purchase of food grains, saying: “We have talked to Punjab, Chhattisgarh and other neighbouring states and we are going to buy grains from them. I request the central government not to do politics, you are not giving your rice; this is farmers’ rice. We don’t want anyone’s free rice, Karnataka government is able to buy it.”
Significantly, Siddaramaiah has accused the central government of obstructing the fulfilment of his election promise of “Anna Bhagya Yojana”. He also said that the central government is trying to create confusion in the minds of the people. Under the “Anna Bhagya Yojana”, the quantity of food grains has been increased to 10 kg. Siddaramaiah also said that the FCI wrote to him, saying that they have agreed to supply rice to the state, but before that another letter dated 14 June said that it can’t supply rice and wheat.
Questioning the FCI, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that if FCI is doing politics of hatred. Not only this, he also accused the government of being anti-poor.
AAP state president Prithvi Reddy said that Bhagwant Mann has given a positive response and has in principle agreed to supply rice from Punjab to Karnataka. “We firmly believe that irrespective of political differences, all parties should support initiatives that are meant to help the people of our country.” Reddy also took a jibe at the BJP government for allegedly refusing to provide additional rice to Karnataka.
As per officials, Karnataka may have to work out the transportation costs and the procurement costs. But the question is whether the offer of rice by AAP will mitigate the acrimonious relations between the two national parties. However, political experts are watching to see if AAP and the Congress get on the same page on the Ordinance issue in a bid to build a united Opposition on the issue.