BJP will counter the Chembu (empty pot) campaign of the Congress with a Chippu (empty coconut shell) campaign symbolically showing the hollowness of the claims being made by the Siddaramaiah government in the State.
MLC and BJP Chief Whip in the Legislative Council N. Ravikumar said that BJP workers will display a Chippu against the Congress government to counter its Chembu campaign against the BJP.
The Chippu campaign will start on Monday, he told reporters in Davangere on Sunday.
“The Congress government in Karnataka has failed on all counts. There is a severe shortage of drinking water, farmers have got no compensation for crop loss due to drought. The State government has stopped adding ₹4,000 to the ₹6,000 given by the Centre under the Kisan Samman scheme and animal farmers are not getting milk incentive,” he said.
“What is more, the State government has cancelled student scholarships and senior citizens are not getting their pension. What does all this mean? It means that this government is giving a Chippu to all. But the Congress has the audacity to criticise the Central government with its Chembu campaign. We will counter it by starting the Chippu campaign,” he said.
The Chippu campaign will be launched in a mega event in Davangere, he added.
Mr. Ravikumar said that the BJP has helped innumerable number of farmers, women and Dalits by giving them an Akshya Patre (the inexhaustible pot). “But the Congress has given the people only a Chippu and that is what the people will give back to the Congress in this Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
The MLC said that there is lawlessness in the State and women are not feeling safe under the Congress rule.
“The murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi is proof of this. The accused, Fayaz, a member of a minority community, stabbed her in a gruesome manner in broad daylight, as she did not respond to his overtures. But Home Minister G. Parameshwar has tried to pass it off as a personal issue. This is not acceptable. Atrocities on Hindus by Muslims have increased due to the ‘my brother’ policy being followed by the Congress government,” he said.
Minister S.S. Mallikarjun should disclose what he has contributed to the district since becoming a Minister. MPs from Davangere have complained that the district in-charge Minister is trying to prevent them from taking up development works like opening a government medical college, as it will reduce intake at Mr. Mallikarjun’s private colleges.
Member of Parliament G.M. Siddeshwar said that Mr. Mallikarjun has achieved little success as district in-charge Minister. “In fact, he is not fit to be a gram panchayat member. He has renamed a half-built lake as Mallikarjun Sagar, that was developed under the Smart City project. Mr. Mallikarjun has alleged that I am involved in corruption. If that is proved, I will retire from public life,” he said.
