Deve Gowda aligned with BJP for survival, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 11 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticised Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda, saying that he has aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his party's survival.
Taking a dig at the former Prime Minister's previous statement, Siddaramaiah asked if he had forgotten that he had said he would leave the country if Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.
While addressing the teachers' Thanksgiving meeting at Kangeri on Sunday, Karnataka CM said that he was very surprised after coming to know that former Prime Minister Deve Gowda has now joined hands with the BJP.
"Deve Gowda is praising Narendra Modi now. He also says that he and Narendra Modi have an inseparable relationship. I wonder why he has become like this. The same Deve Gowda had said that if Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister again, he will leave the country. But now, he is praising. Thus, they are following a dual policy. I never expected that a former Prime Minister of a country would say this," Siddaramaiah said.
Recalling that Deve Gowda had once said that he wanted to be born as a Muslim in his next life and was always against the BJP.
"Now he has aligned himself with the BJP for the survival of his party. Today, the people of the country are intelligent like you. The people of the country can check and compare their statements. No matter what decision Deve Gowda takes politically for the survival of his family, he thinks that people should turn a blind eye and support him. But now there is no such situation," CM Siddaramaiah said.
The Chief Minister was addressing the teachers' thanksgiving meeting at Kangeri in the wake of P Puttanna's victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council's Teachers' constituency by-election.
On P Puttanna's victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council's Teachers' constituency by-election, Siddaramaiah said, "Puttanna was confident that the teachers would support him and told that he would compete for the election. He won with the blessings of the people in 2002. He has won five times since then. He has worked efficiently as the voice of the people."
On party MP and brother of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, DK Suresh's candidature from Banglore Rural in the Lok Sabha elections, CM Siddaramaiah said, "DK Suresh has been contesting from Bangalore Rural for four terms. He will win. The BJP is confident of winning in the name of Narendra Modi. Kumaraswamy had said that the alliance between the BJP and JDS would give a new direction to the Lok Sabha elections. Now people have to decide."
"Even though Narendra Modi marched across the state ahead of the assembly elections, we got 136 seats. The BJP never won in any constituency where Modi campaigned. No one is as stupid as the people who think that they will win in the name of Narendra Modi," he added.
The Chief Minister assured to convene a meeting with the teachers' representatives, along with the Finance Department, to discuss the teacher's issues.
"People who fulfil the promises and work should be paid. Ploughing oxen should be fed, and oxen that do not plough won't be fed," he said.
He also criticised the central government for the alleged uneven tax distribution.
"They think that they will win 28 out of 28 in the next Lok Sabha elections. In 2023-24, 4.30 lakh crore rupees have been collected from Karnataka. But we got back only Rs 50,257 crore. This is very unfair. If this is the case, how do we develop the state. The people of Karnataka are questioning whether justice should be given in tax distribution," he said. (ANI)