The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put the Congress in a tight spot in the Legislative Council on Tuesday over Mr. Siddaramaiah “selectively” releasing compensation of Rs.1 lakh to the four families of victims of dengue in Siddaramanahundi village of Mysore district, from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Accusing Mr. Siddaramaiah of “politicising dengue deaths” by selectively exercising his “discretionary power” in announcing compensation to dengue victims in his native village, BJP members trooped into the well of the House and staged a dharna demanding uniform compensation to all dengue victims across the State.
Opposition leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda withdrew the dharna with a rider: party members would continue dharna if Mr. Siddaramaiah fails to announce compensation to other dengue victims in his response to the Governor’s address. Though Janata Dal (Secular) members did not participate in the dharna, they supported the issue and asked the government not to discriminate among dengue victims.
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Attempts of the Leader of the House S.R. Patil, Minister for Public Works Department H.C. Mahadevappa and Minister for Health U.T. Khader to persuade the Opposition to withdraw the dharna failed.
In reply Mr. Khader said of the 4,106 blood samples collected from January till date, 985 tested positive for dengue. Of the 1.44 crore water samples collected across the State, breeding spots of aedes aegypti mosquito that causes dengue were found in 4.38 lakh samples. He said government was committed to tackling dengue.