Latest news with #SamarpanaSankalpaSamavesha
India Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Siddaramaiah sidestepped? Rahul Gandhi skips him at Congress two-year bash
At a grand event marking two years of the Congress government in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi's speech stood out for what it didn't say. Despite the occasion being a celebration of the Siddaramaiah-led administration's achievements, the senior Congress leader made no mention of the Chief Minister or his government, sparking murmurs within party public gathering, called Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, was organised on Tuesday to mark two years of Congress governance in Vijayanagara the event in Hosapete area, Rahul spoke about the success of the 'Congress government' but avoided naming the state leadership or giving credit to the Chief Minister directly. This stood out, especially since several Siddaramaiah supporters who spoke at the event praised his leadership and listed his government's welfare schemes and governance record. Sources in the AICC also said there was discontent over an airport protocol issue earlier in the day. Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had to wait at the Bengaluru airport while Siddaramaiah took a guard of honour. Some senior leaders reportedly saw this as a breach of protocol and a sign of disrespect to the party's central the party maintained a united front publicly during the event, these incidents have triggered fresh whispers of internal discord just as the Karnataka Congress government enters the second half of its InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
We have fulfilled 142 promises in two years, remaining will be met in next three years: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared that 242 of the total 593 promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections had already been met in the last two years and the remaining will be implemented over the next three years. Speaking at the Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, a public gathering organised at Hosapete in Vijayanagara district on Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the Congress government's two-year in office, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that in his previous term between 2013 and 2018 also he had fulfilled 158 of the 165 promises, apart from 30 additional programmes that were not announced in the party's manifesto. 'But the BJP never fulfilled its promises. It had given 600 promises but could not fulfill even 10% of them,' he said. 'Injustice to Karnataka' The Chief Minister strongly criticised the Union government for what he called 'systematic financial injustice' towards Karnataka by stating that it had not paid ₹13,000 crore dues payable to the State in the last two financial years. 'Though the State contributes ₹4.5 lakh crore in taxes every year, it receives only ₹65,000 crore in return. It means only ₹14 per every ₹100. Prime Minister Narendra Modi often talks of cooperative federalism. Is it cooperative federalism? This erodes the federal structure,' he said. Pointing to the Union government's failure to provide its share for centrally-sponsored schemes to be implemented in the State, the Chief Minister added that Karnataka has been fulfilling its share of funding, but the Centre has failed to release its corresponding share. 'There were centrally-sponsored schemes worth ₹48,000 crore to be implemented in the State. The Karnataka government gave its share of ₹24,000 crore, but the Union government gave only ₹18,000 crore, ₹4,000 crore less than what it was supposed to give. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced ₹5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra Project. The then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai mentioned it in his Budget and declared that the project would be made a national project. Not a single rupee came from the Union government,' he said. Slamming the BJP-JD(S) alliance, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the BJP had never formed a government in Karnataka on its own but came to power through the backdoor through 'Operation Kamala'.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rahul calls distribution of 1.11 lakh title deeds ‘sixth guarantee', dream of Indira Gandhi fulfilled
Calling the regularisation of settlements such as tandas, hattis, and hadis into revenue villages the 'sixth and unannounced guarantee' of the Congress government, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi commended the initiative as a major achievement aimed at realising the dreams of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He also urged the State government to complete the distribution of title deeds to all residents of tandas, hattis, hadis, and other unauthorised hamlets within the next six months. He was speaking at the Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, a large public gathering held in Hosapete, Vijayanagara district, on Tuesday to mark the completion of two years of Congress rule in Karnataka. 'There were many settlements that were never recognised as revenue villages. The people living there had no legal ownership of the land they had occupied for generations and were excluded from basic government services. I had raised this issue with senior Congress leaders in Karnataka. Today, I am proud to say that we have implemented what I call the sixth guarantee — without ever promising it publicly. Over one lakh families are receiving digital title deeds today. This is a significant step towards realising the dream of Indira Gandhi,' he said. 50,000 more to go He noted that around 2,000 hamlets are being recognised as revenue villages and that the digital title deeds being issued are accessible at any time. 'We promised five guarantees, but in truth, we have delivered six. This is crucial for the future of Karnataka,' he added, appealing to the government to ensure that the remaining 50,000 families in 500 hamlets also receive their ownership titles within six months. Criticising the BJP for 'channelling the country's wealth to a handful of ultra-rich individuals,' Mr. Gandhi contrasted the Congress' approach which, he said, prioritised redirecting taxpayers' money towards the welfare and the development of the people. 'The Congress government in Karnataka is transferring thousands of crores of rupees directly into the bank accounts of the poor. This money is being used for your children's education, your healthcare, and your daily needs in villages and cities alike. That spending circulates money within the local economy, boosting production and improving the economy overall,' he said. 'In contrast, the BJP wants a small group of individuals to control India's entire wealth. That money doesn't return to the villages. it's used to purchase properties in foreign cities like London and New York.' No stopping guarantees Speaking on title deeds, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, 'We are giving Bhu guarantee scheme as the sixth guarantee to repay our debt to the people of the State who blessed us with power. As per the directions of the AICC president, the guarantee schemes will not be stopped as long as the Congress government is in power.' The event was attended by several senior leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, and others.
India Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Bengaluru flooded but Congress celebrates: BJP slams anniversary event timing
While heavy rains left large parts of Bengaluru waterlogged and claimed three lives over the past 48 hours, the Congress government in Karnataka went ahead with its second anniversary celebrations in Hosapete. However, the public gathering, called Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, organised on Tuesday to mark two years of Congress government in the state drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).advertisementWhile the state capital reeled under infrastructure breakdown and flood-related chaos, top Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, welcomed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi at Jindal Vijayanagara Airport on Tuesday morning. The anniversary celebration commenced in Hosapete amidst continuous heavy rainfall. While many participants were able to take shelter, several others were forced to find cover from rain elsewhere. The relentless downpour led to flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas, as well as traffic congestion at various points across the administrative headquarters of Vijayanagara – a relatively new district carved out of the larger Ballari – is a city located in the north-central part of Karnataka. It's roughly 330-350 km northwest of Bengaluru. Back in Bengaluru, things were much grimmer with several localities including Sai Layout, Manyata Tech Park and Silk Board Junction being inundated following intermittent rain throughout the weekend and on Monday night. Residents complained of poor drainage, unmotorable roads, and delayed emergency news of waterlogging and flooding came in on Monday morning, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar visited the BBMP War Room (Integrated Command and Control Centre) for a briefing from civic commissioner Tushar Giri Nath during the day. Shivakumar visited some affected areas on Monday evening, but reportedly mostly interacted virtually with residents from the flood-hit zones, along with the chief BJP seized on this, calling the government's absence on the ground 'irresponsible' and its celebrations 'tone-deaf.'State BJP President BY Vijayendra said the situation in Bengaluru was dire and accused the Congress of misplaced priorities.'A few hours of rain have brought Bengaluru to its knees. People are suffering, three lives have been lost, and the government is busy celebrating its anniversary,' Vijayendra told India Today TV. 'The home minister G Parameshwara had the audacity to blame Bengalureans for the flooding — that's not what people expect from a responsible administration. This shows the arrogance of power.'He further accused the Congress of neglecting Bengaluru's infrastructure while only 'talking about tunnels and towers.''Bengaluru residents are among the highest taxpayers, but all they get in return are potholes and waterlogging. The government is not serious about the development of this city,' he Deputy Chief Minister and current BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan also condemned the government's decision to go ahead with the function.'This is not just misplaced priority, it is utter insensitivity. The government is in celebration mode while the city is under water and people are losing their lives,' he said. 'The Congress has done nothing significant in terms of governance or infrastructure in the last two years. Their so-called guarantees are inconsistently delivered and not financially sustainable.'He went on to accuse the Congress of using taxpayer money for populist schemes without accountability, calling the administration a 'government of scams and slogans.''There have been no radical changes, no meaningful development. And now they are busy pleasing their high command while Bengalureans suffer. This government is not just irresponsible — it is indifferent,' Narayan Congress, however, defended its decision to mark the occasion, citing its welfare-driven governance sources indicated that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were monitoring the flood situation remotely and that local officials were on the ground to manage relief operations.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Celebration of 2 years of Congress govt in Karnataka begins amid torrential rains in Hosapete
The Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, a public meeting organised to commemorate two years of the Congress government in Karnataka, commenced in Hosapete on May 20 amidst continuous heavy rainfall. While the majority of attendees took shelter under a vast waterproof canopy, many others struggled to find cover outside. The relentless downpour led to flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas, as well as traffic congestion at various points across Hosapete. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who welcomed the dignitaries and the public, described the rain as a divine blessing for a government that, in his view, has fulfilled its promises. 'Rain may bring inconvenience and damage to some, but it is a boon for countless farmers. On this day, as we celebrate two years of good, people-centric governance under the Congress, the rain is blessing us,' he said. Mr. Gowda informed the gathering that the All India Congress Committee president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah; and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, who had been scheduled to arrive at the venue via helicopter from the Jindal air strip at Toranagal, were forced to travel by road due to the adverse weather conditions. They arrived on the stage by 12.30 p.m. Prior to their arrival, several ministers, including Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, and Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Tourism H.K. Patil, apart from Mr. Gowda, addressed the crowd. Each presented a summary of key achievements within their respective departments over the past two years. Mr. Gowda described the upgrading of unauthorised settlements — such as tandas and hattis — into revenue villages by issuing digital title deeds to residents, and thereby making them legal landowners, as a monumental achievement. 'Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi played a pivotal role in making this possible. Mr. Kharge, during his tenure as Revenue Minister of Karnataka, was the first to initiate the process of converting these unauthorised settlements into recognised revenue villages. Rahul Gandhi, during a visit to Karnataka nearly a decade ago, had assured residents of Lambani hamlets that he would do everything in his power to help them obtain title deeds. Today, the Siddaramaiah government has enacted a law to realise that promise. Today, we will distribute 1,11,111 title deeds to residents at this convention. They are digital title deeds that cannot be lost,' he said.
