E-Paper
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah meets PM, Union ministers
The meeting came a day after Siddaramaiah responded to PM Modi’s criticism of the state’s guarantee schemes
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. His first meeting with Modi after becoming the CM took place at the Parliament building, where according to the chief minister’s office both leaders discussed various issues but they were not revealed.
Siddaramaiah was accompanied by his political secretary K Govindaraj and the state’s special representative in Delhi, T B Jayachandra.
The meeting came a day after Siddaramaiah responded to Prime Minister Modi’s criticism of the state’s guarantee schemes, urging him to clarify his stance on these welfare initiatives before opposing them.
In a social media post on Wednesday Siddaramaiah thanked PM Modi for expressing concern about Karnataka’s finances due to the implementation of the guarantee schemes but sought clarity on whether the opposition to these schemes “was your personal opinion, the opinion as the Prime Minister of India, or the opinion of your party.”
PM Modi had recently criticised Congress-led governments in Karnataka and Rajasthan for using guarantee schemes as political tactics to win elections, labelling them as “selfish” and detrimental to overall development.
Earlier on the day, Siddaramaiah met defence minister Rajnath Singh to discuss organising an airshow for the upcoming Mysuru Dasara, which will be celebrated from October 15 to 24. In a letter to Singh, Siddaramaiah requested for the airshow, citing the success of previous airshows during Dasara festivities in 2017 and 2019.
“It is hereby requested to kindly direct the concerned to plan an airshow, as was done earlier, during Nadahabba Dasara 2023 in Mysuru,” Siddaramaiah said in the letter. “Your timely intervention will add more colour to the Dasara Habba,” read the letter.
“During the meeting of the high-powered committee for celebrations of Mysuru Dasara, the desire of the people to have an airshow during the Dasara festivities of 2023 was placed before the committee,” Siddaramaiah said.
“In 2017 and 2019, the Dasara festival was privileged by a special airshow exhibited by the Indian Air Force at the Torch Light Parade Ground in Mysuru which enthralled the attention of tens of thousands of tourists and Kannadigas,” it added.
The chief minister also met the Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and presented demands, including improving safety measures on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway to reduce accidents. He also requested for entry and exits to facilitate roadside amenities and proposed the construction of a tunnel from Maranahalli to Addahole section on NH-75.
The expressway inaugurated by PM Modi in March this year has witnessed several accidents in which over 100 people died and 335 were injured till June 30.
CM Siddaramaiah also requested the minister to release grants for the repair and maintenance of highways in the state. A proposal was also made to convert many 4-lane highways into 6-lane in the state.
Siddaramaiah also met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed issues related to Karnataka.
In the evening, the chef minister met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kharge separately and discussed political matters.
“Met former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi today and discussed about various issues,” the chief minister said on Twitter while sharing a picture with Gandhi, who also wished Siddaramaiah on his birthday.
