Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar for going to watch the World Cup cricket match between Australia and Pakistan in Bengaluru.
“If it's India versus Pakistan match, then it's fine. But the match was between Pakistan and Australia. Did they give support to Pakistan or Australia? The state is suffering and the government is watching a cricket match," Kumaraswamy said.
The match, in which Australia trounced Pakistan by 62 runs, was played at M. Chinnaswami stadium in the state capital on Friday.
Targeting the ruling Congress over the farmers’ issues and corruption, the former chief minister said there is a lack of coherence in the state government.
“They (Congress) say they did what they have said, but the farmers are suffering. The government is asking the central government for funds. The government has written a letter to the central government. Now the government should go to the Centre." he said, apparently referring to the chief minister’s claim that he had appealed to the Centre for crop loss compensation of Rs 4,860 crore.
The JD(S) leader further alleged that the farmers were facing problems since there was a shortage of water in some districts.
Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah had said that the state’s farmers have suffered losses amounting to Rs 30,000 crore due to drought this year. The crop loss has been reported on 42 lakh hectares of agricultural land.
“As per the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms, we have sought Rs 4,860 crore from the union government and the central team has visited the drought-hit areas,” Siddaramaiah had said.
