Denying rice to State by Centre will be an LS poll issue: Congress

Congress to make Centre denying rice to Karnataka for Anna Bhagya scheme a poll issue in next year's Lok Sabha election. K.M. Shivalinge Gowda said the Centre should have allowed the State to purchase rice for 10 kg of rice to each BPL and Antyodaya card-holder families. BJP members accused Gowda of making political speech and speaking "lies" without data. Congress to raise issue of Centre denying rice to Karnataka in next year's LS polls. #Congress #BJP #Karnataka #AnnaBhagya #LokSabha #Rice #Centre #BPL #Antyodaya #GST #Taxes

The Congress will make a poll issue of the Centre denying rice to Karnataka for its Anna Bhagya scheme in the next year’s Lok Sabha election, K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, Congress MLA, said on Thursday.

Speaking on the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint session of the State legislature, Mr. Gowda claimed denial of rice to Karnataka would have a big impact in the next year’s general elections. The Centre should have allowed the State to purchase rice so that the government could have provided 10 kg of rice to each member of the BPL and Antyodaya card-holder families, he said.

The Congress member questioned the Centre’s motive in denying the rice and said Karnataka was part of the Indian federal structure and paying taxes to the Central pool.

Congress and BJP members indulged a verbal duel when Mr. Gowda continued to question the Narendra Modi-led Central government’s policies with regard to jobs and GST. While V. Sunil Kumar (BJP) said Mr. Gowda was making a political speech and not speaking on the Governor’s address, C.N. Ashwath Narayan (BJP) said the Congress member had been speaking “lies” without basic information and data.

The former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommaiclaimed that the State government had reduced the quantity of rice to BPL and Antyodaya card holders from 5 kg to 3 kg in July and criticised the government for reducing the quantum under the National Food Security Act.

On Wednesday, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said the State government had reduced the quantity of rice to BPL and Antyodaya card holders in July under the Anna Bhagya scheme and was giving 2 kg of ragi and only 3 kg of rice and criticised the government for its failure to implement its five guarantees.