Don't do hate politics in giving rice to poor, Sidda tells Shah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that there should be no "hate politics", in supply of rice to the state, for a scheme aimed at the poor.

The chief minister met Shah on Wednesday night and held discussions regarding the supply of rice to the state, for its Anna Bhagya scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of below poverty line families.

"I met Amit Shah last night. I have brought to his notice that FCI (Food Corporation of India) had agreed to supply rice and had also written a letter in this regard, but all of a sudden the very next day they said they cannot supply. Prima facie it looks like politics has been played here. Let there be no hate politics in this, as this is the programme for providing rice to the poor," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, "Shah told me that he will speak to the Union minister concerned and come back."

Siddaramaiah and his ministers for the last few days, have been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from Food Corporation of India, for rolling out the Anna Bhagya scheme, from July 1, as promised.

They have alleged the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS-D for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12.

The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetency and are desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre.

The CM on Wednesday, ahead of meeting Shah had indicated that there may be slight delay in implementing the Anna Bhagya scheme, as the Centre played "dirty politics".

He had said that the state has called for quotations from central government agencies like NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar.

"We will get to know tomorrow from them, once we get to know we will decide. There may be a slight delay in implementing the scheme as the central government has played politics."

Siddaramaiah also said, he has requested the Union home minister for two more battalions of Indian Reserve Battalion to the state.

"Two battalions have been given to the state, two more should be given to the state, I have asked for it," he said.