New Delhi
Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy on Monday launched a sharp counterattack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for questioning his contributions to Mandya district. Addressing reporters at his New Delhi residence, Kumaraswamy challenged the Chief Minister to first outline his own achievements before seeking answers from others. He criticised Siddaramaiah’s previous term, pointing out that more than 200 farmers in Mandya died by suicide between 2013 and 2018. In contrast, he highlighted that his government had waived ₹900 crore in loans to support distressed farmers in the district.
Kumaraswamy accused the state government of neglecting farmers facing repeated climate disasters. He said the administration failed to respond to the crash in tur dal prices in Kalyana Karnataka and had not opened procurement centres on time. “After months of delay, you suddenly seek a central inspection team. What report do you expect now?” he asked.
HDK defends call to teach Bhagavad Gita
Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy defended his proposal to introduce the Bhagavad Gita in school curricula, questioning how teaching moral values could be branded as “Manuvadi.” Addressing the media in New Delhi, he said the growing drug menace in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, was destroying young lives, and the Gita could guide children toward discipline and ethical thinking. Criticising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Mahadevappa for attacking him, he asked whether writing to the Union Education Minister on value-based education could be considered a crime.
