‘Does being prime minister mean he is dictator of country’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Siddaramaiah hits back at Yediyurappa, asking why the prime minister is talking about Karnataka during election campaigning in Madhya Pradesh.

Published on: Nov 8, 2023, 08:34:27 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday wondered whether being a prime minister means becoming a dictator, hours after his predecessor B S Yediyurappa accused him of making "irresponsible" comments about the Narendra Modi government.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru earlier in the day, Yediyurappa hit out at Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar for their comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

"If they have the arrogance to criticise the prime minister who is respected globally, people will teach them a lesson," the former chief minister said.

READ | Former CM BS Yediyurappa claims Karnataka govt is ‘bankrupt’, ‘as good as dead’

Hitting back, Siddaramaiah said, "Does being a prime minister mean he is the dictator of the country? Should he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) speak against me?

"What is there to talk about Karnataka during the election campaigning in Madhya Pradesh? There is an election happening in Madhya Pradesh, why is he talking about Karnataka?" Siddaramaiah posed.

When asked whether Siddaramaiah thought that PM Modi was scared of him, the Karnataka chief minister said, "It is possible. I also think so."

To the allegation that he often blamed the BJP-led Union government for everything, including the drought, the chief minister said he was only asking for money from the Centre to deal with the severe drought in the state.

READ | ‘Unexpected’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on PM Modi's jibes at him

"Shouldn't we ask for money? Is asking for money equivalent to picking up a fight? We live in a federal system. The Centre and the states should function in coordination. If there is drought in Karnataka, then the Centre has a responsibility (towards it)," Siddaramaiah said.

He pointed out that the people of Karnataka pay taxes to the Centre and hence they too have the right to ask for money.

"Who pays taxes to Centre? Is it not the people of the state who pay taxes to the Centre? Is there any other set of people who pays taxes to the Centre?” Siddaramaiah posed.

The chief minister said the state has suffered a crop loss to the tune of ₹33,700 crore due to drought. Accordingly, Karnataka has demanded ₹17,900 crore from the Centre, he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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