Siddaramaiah may sue Maharashtra government over false ads on Karnataka schemes

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused Maharashtra government and BJP of spreading falsehoods about Karnataka's welfare schemes. Hinting that there could be legal action, he defended Congress promises amid political tensions ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections.

In Short

• Siddaramaiah accuses Mahayuti alliance of spreading lies about Karnataka’s guarantee schemes
• Chief MInister criticises BJP, JD(S) for failing to deliver welfare programmes during their rule
• Karnataka government explores legal action, defends “Anna Bhagya” and other schemes

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday announced that his government is considering legal action against the Maharashtra government over advertisements allegedly misrepresenting Karnataka’s flagship guarantee schemes. The advertisements, he claimed, were a deliberate attempt to mislead voters in poll-bound Maharashtra.

Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-led NCP, in Maharashtra of spreading misinformation to gain political mileage. “It is only to mislead the people of Maharashtra in order to get votes. The Prime Minister is telling lies, and the Maharashtra government has issued false advertisements,” he said.

The Chief Minister revealed that the Karnataka government is examining the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the Maharashtra government. “We are thinking about filing a suit because they have given false advertisements. We are exploring legal action,” he said.

Highlighting the scale of the guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah said his government spends Rs 56,000 crore annually on initiatives aimed at benefiting the state’s citizens. He criticised the BJP for claiming Karnataka lacks funds for these schemes and questioned why similar programs are not implemented in BJP-ruled states.

Siddaramaiah also slammed JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, questioning his moral authority to comment on Congress-led schemes. “Did Kumaraswamy introduce any guarantee schemes while in power?” he asked. The CM further criticised Union Ministers from Karnataka, including Kumaraswamy and Pralhad Joshi, for not addressing issues like the reduction of NABARD loans for farmers by 58% this year.

He expressed disappointment over the Centre’s allocation of funds to Karnataka, noting that the state contributes Rs 4.5 lakh crore in taxes annually but receives only Rs 59,000-Rs 60,000 crore in return. “If we give Rs 1, we get back only 14 paise. Instead of merely speaking, let Kumaraswamy secure more funds for Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister also defended his administration’s actions on Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards, emphasising that only ineligible cards would be cancelled. He reiterated his commitment to supporting the poor through programs like the “Anna Bhagya” free rice scheme and criticised the BJP and JD(S) for failing to introduce similar welfare measures during their tenures.

“Who implemented Anna Bhagya? It was Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister. BJP only talks; they never act,” he remarked, urging the media to avoid creating confusion over welfare schemes.