Basavaraj Bommai charged the Congress with weakening the Lokayukta institution. (File)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government would do everything to give justice to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State.
Days after deciding to increase reservation for the SC/ST, Mr Bommai alleged that the Congress is trying to mislead the public on the issue.
"We are ready to fight a legal battle to give justice to the SC/ST. You tried to break communities, including the Veera Shaiva-Lingayats, and also the backward communities, but now the Dalits have no fear because we are with them," Mr Bommai said in a public meeting in Vijayanagara district during the 'Jana Sankalpa Yatra' in poll-bound Karnataka.
He slammed the previous Congress government led by Siddaramaiah for doing nothing to empower the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The Chief Minister charged the Siddaramaiah government with not spending funds meant only for the SC/ST.
"Now, we have come up with schemes for the SC/ST communities, which will improve their condition," Mr Bommai said.
He cautioned the Congress leaders, especially Siddaramaiah, not to speak ill against Yediyurappa. He alleged that the Congress tried to fix him false cases in the last one-and-a-half decades.
"If you continue to speak ill of Yediyurappa, the people of the State will teach you a lesson," the Chief Minister said.
He accused the Congress of encouraging only one community and remained silent on the murder of BJP workers.
Mr Bommai charged the Congress with weakening the Lokayukta institution by setting up the anti-corruption bureau only to cover up their scams.
He said those who are afraid of his government are those who indulged in illegalities, drugs and atrocities on women and Dalits.
"Also, the Congress is scared of our government because we have got the support of the masses," Bommai said.
He ridiculed the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"Congress is a sinking ship due to which the Bharat Jodo has been started. Rahul Gandhi is tired while attempting to unite Siddaramaiah and Congress State president D K Shivakumar. How can he unite India with his Bharat Jodo Yatra," Mr Bommai said.
The Chief Minister mocked the Bharat Jodo Yatra saying that the Congress broke the nation into two only to come to power.
"Those who gave rise to the Khalistan movement by supporting Bhindrawale, Naxalites who spread to 11 States and the LTTE are talking about Bharat Jodo today," Mr Bommai said.
He said the slogan of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is apt and shows the vision of the BJP government.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)