Only Congress can guarantee the protection of Constitution, democracy, says Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticizes BJP, praises Congress for implementing welfare schemes and empowering marginalized communities in Karnataka.

Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a political outfit that has always worked against the Constitution, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that only the Congress can ensure the protection of the Constitution that guarantees equal rights to the marginalized and oppressed communities in the country.

“Only the Congress can ensure the protection of the Constitution, safeguard the democracy and ensure the socio-economic stability for the downtrodden communities. The BJP has never been a party that upheld the Constitution. It is not a pro-poor party. It is not a pro-social justice party. During my campaign for Congress candidate E. Annapurna in the recently concluded Assembly by-election for the Sandur segment, I appealed to you not to support that party. You honoured my appeal by defeating the BJP candidate and electing a Congress candidate. I thank you for that,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said at a public meeting in Sandur, Ballari district, on Sunday.

The event was organised by the Ballari District Congress Committee to thank the voters of Sandur for electing Ms. Annapurna in the by-election.

“We have walked the talk by implementing all the five guarantee schemes that we promised during the last Assembly elections. The schemes are benefiting all the people of society irrespective of their religion, caste and party affiliations,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Terming the guarantee schemes as unique programmes in India aiming at empowering the downtrodden communities, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka is the only State in the country to implement the welfare schemes on such a large scale.

“Not just in the history of Karnataka but also that of India, no government has worked for empowering the Dalits, poor, women, backward classes and minorities in such a way. During our campaign for the last Assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar and I promised to implement five guarantee schemes if voted to power. We have kept our word,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, at the same time, trained his guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to question whether they have fulfilled their promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.