‘PM Modi has failed to provide 2 crore jobs per year’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to provide two crore jobs per year as promised by him.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who promised to create 2 crore jobs per year, failed to do so. 20 crore jobs were to be provided in ten years, which did not happen," Siddaramaiah said after inaugurating a project to fill 150 lakes and ponds in 79 villages in Periyapatna taluk from the Cauvery River at Muthtinamulusoge.

Launching a scathing attack on the central government, the Chief Minister quipped that Lord Ram is being brought to the forefront to "hide their betrayal".

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"We worship Raghupathi Raghava Rajarama, as said by Mahatma Gandhi. Don't forgive the BJP for playing politics by bringing Sri Rama to the forefront to hide their betrayal," Siddaramaiah said.

"I laid the foundation stone and inaugurated it for the benefit of the people, cattle, agriculture and the increase of groundwater here. 79 villages and 93 thousand people are benefiting from this. This is the responsibility of our government in Periyapatna," he added.

He said that a project of the state government has revived the lakes of Kolar and Chikkaballapur. Similarly, he explained that this project will give life to the lakes of Periyapatna and increase the groundwater here.

"It is the culture of our government, the Congress government, to fulfil what is promised. We always keep our word. The BJP has not fulfilled any of its promises. Even though there is a severe drought in the state, we have provided drinking water to the people and livestock and prevented people from migrating. This is our achievement," he said.

"From September last year until today, we have been writing letters asking for the state's share of drought relief. Even though we went and met Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah, the central government has not given a single rupee to the state," Siddaramaiah added.

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Alleging that not a single BJP MP has brought a single rupee of drought relief to the state, the Chief Minister asked bitterly, "Pratap Simha (BJP MP), why did you not get a single rupee? Aren't you ashamed that despite having so many MPs, you could not get anything for the state?"

"Former PM and JD(S) chief Deve Gowda has now aligned himself with PM Modi and the BJP for his existence. Let him tell the Prime Minister to get his share of the drought relief that is due to the state," the CM added.

The CM quipped that though the JD(S) have included 'secular' in their party name, they have aligned themselves with the BJP.

Siddaramaiah said that "4.50 crore people from 1 crore 30 lakh families in the state will get 4 to 6 thousand rupees from the guarantee schemes every month."

Sericulture and Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh presided over the event, along with Water Resources Minister and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, and Minor Irrigation Minister N S Bosaraju, among others.