Criticising the BJP-led Union government for returning the State government’s proposal for inclusion of Koli (Kabbaliga) community in the Scheduled Tribes list, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge has said that the State government will submit the proposal again after the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr Kharge accused Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav of playing the blame game over including Koli (Kabbaliga) community in the STs list and said that the BJP-led government at the Centre has rejected the proposal. He said that blaming the Congress-led State government is not acceptable.
Mr. Jadhav should tender an apology to the people of Kalaburagi Lok Sabha Constituency for not keeping his promise to get Scheduled Tribes tag for the Koli (kabbaliga) community. During the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders, particularly Mr. Jadhav and N. Ravi Kumar, repeatedly promised to get STs tag for the Koli (Kabbaliga) community, the Minister said and urged Mr. Jadhav to reveal the facts before the voters.
Mr. Kharge asked is it that difficult for the Modi-led government to include Koli (Kabbaliga) community in the STs list.
Mr. Ravi Kumar, who spearheaded the BJP election campaign in Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency during the last parliamentary elections and made promises to voters, did not turn up for election campaigning for his party this time as he knew that he would have to face the ire of the people.
Stating that there is no level playing field for the Opposition in fighting the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Kharge said that the Election Commission is targeting the Congress by filing complaints against its leaders, while not taking any action against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje and their alliance partner and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Responding to a statement by Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur that he will resign from the Cabinet if he fails to give lead to his party candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Kharge said that district in-charge Ministers have been assigned responsibility by the party for giving lead in their respective parliamentary constituencies for Congress candidates and “we have to make all-out efforts to fulfill it.”
Asked about speculation over BJP leader Malikayya Guttedar’s possible switch to the Congress, Mr. Kharge said that he is unaware of any such political development.
