‘We don't have money and neither does Siddaramaiah': Karnataka Home Minister's joke triggers political storm

Economic Times

4 hours ago

Agencies
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara
What started as a light-hearted remark at a local public function has ballooned into a full-blown controversy for the Karnataka government.
Home Minister G Parameshwara, speaking at the inauguration of a fire station in Badami on Monday, made an offhand joke that has now gone viral and stirred political mudslinging. During his address, he encouraged Congress MLA BB Chimmankatti to think ambitiously for the region's development—once the heart of the Chalukya dynasty.
'Draft a plan worth Rs 1,000 crore for the development of Badami assembly constituency and send it to the Union government. We don't have money, and neither does Siddaramaiah,' Parameshwara said. The crowd burst into laughter, but not everyone found it funny.That one sentence, delivered with a smile, has now become a lightning rod for criticism.Parameshwara didn't stop there. To drive the humour home, he added, 'After providing rice, lentils, and oil, the funds are depleted,' before gesturing towards Excise Minister RB Timmapur and saying, 'The 'enne' (liquor or excise) minister is right here.' That remark, too, drew chuckles at the event.
But what was laughed off at the venue quickly turned into a political weapon online. The viral clip has dominated regional news, with opposition parties questioning whether the Congress-led state government is financially sound enough to deliver on its promises.Facing intense scrutiny, Parameshwara addressed the media on Tuesday to clarify his comments. 'I have not said like that, who said there is no money?' he said. 'I have defended the government, saying we have presented a record budget… as someone said things jokingly during the speech, I reacted in a similar fashion, that's all.'The minister insisted that the state is on firm fiscal ground. 'A sum of Rs 22,000 crore has been allocated for irrigation in the budget. Allocations have been made for the five guarantee schemes, and instructions have been made to prepare an action plan for Rs 50 crore in every constituency.'He added, 'I'm now saying officially that there is no financial distress in our government. I'm saying it very clearly. Sometimes, there may be a delay in the release of funds, as DPR and estimates have to be prepared before releasing money. There may be some delay in that; other than that, there is nothing else.'Despite the home minister's assurance, his now-infamous line—'We don't have the money, and neither does Siddaramaiah'—continues to echo across political discussions.It has handed opposition parties an easy talking point as they raise doubts over the state's ability to fund its much-publicised welfare guarantees.These include key programmes promised by the Congress government, such as monthly cash transfers to women heads of households, free electricity, and guarantees of essential grains and food items to below-poverty-line families.While the minister's defence may satisfy party loyalists, the incident has exposed how quickly political humour can backfire—especially when public welfare and fiscal management are under the microscope.For the people of Karnataka, what matters most is whether development goals and social safety nets continue uninterrupted. The government has its task cut out: to reassure both the electorate and critics that behind the smiles, the budget figures still add up.