Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) president and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has said that he will continue his agitation in the Legislative Assembly in Belgaum when the winter session begins on Monday.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, however, said that the party would not disrupt the proceedings in the House.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who ended his 25-day stir here on Sunday, has decided to continue the agitation till the government conceded the party’s major demand that the Shaadi Bhagya scheme, launched for poor Muslim brides, was extended to all poor brides, irrespective of their religion or caste.
He also wanted the Chief Minister to restore the scheme supplying 10 kg of rice at Rs. 10 a kg and 3 kg of wheat at Rs. 8 a kg to above poverty line cardholders.
The former Chief Minister launched the dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue near Ananda Rao Circle here on October 31 to exert pressure on the government to accept these two demands.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday at the venue of the agitation, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that the many schemes he launched during his tenure, including Bhagya Lakshmi, Sandhya Suraksha or Suvarna Bhoomi, were not meant only for people from one particular religion or caste.
He said that the six MLAs of the party would meet in Belgaum on Monday, before the commencement of the session and chalk out a strategy to bring pressure to bear on the government. “I will not succumb to any negotiations or pressure tactics of the government. My agitation will continue till the government accepts these demands,” he said.
The KJP has been alleging that the Siddaramaiah government has been pursuing anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-Dalit policies.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said that all development works in the State had come to a standstill on account of shortage of funds. Contractors’ bills valuing Rs. 7,000 crore had not been paid by the government, he said.
“The government has lost a wicket,” he said, referring to the resignation of Minister of State Santosh Lad, and added that the tenure of Mr. Siddaramaiah may end after the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
Corruption was rampant in transfer of officials, he said and added that rice meant for the Anna Bhagya scheme was being diverted to the black market.
He said that the party had secured 10 per cent of the votes polled in the Assembly elections and that he would now tour the State to create awareness among the people about the faulty policies of the Siddaramaiah Government.
The former Minister and KJP working president Shobha Karandlaje said that the party leaders from several districts were supporting the agitation and that it will continue till the demands were met.
