Vijayapura: Accusing the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of reducing the fund allocation for the welfare of Dalits and backward communities, Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition,  Siddaramaiah said that when he was Chief Minister in the Congress Government he had allocated Rs. 42,000 Crore, while Bommai has earmarked only Rs. 28,000 crore.

Speaking after inaugurating the Public Awareness Programme of various secular organisations at Malghan Village of Sindagi Taluk on Saturday March 12, he said that the BJP Government has reduced Rs. 14,000 Crore budget for the dalits and backwards.

Stating that BJP is anti-Dalit, he advised the Dalits not to support BJP, he said that if the Dalits support BJP then they are insulting Ambedkar who gave reservation to Dalits while the BJP is against the reservation for Dalits.

“It is Ambedkar who has given reservation to Dalit through the Constitution of India. If Ambedkar was not made Chairman of the Constitution Committee, then it would not have been possible to see a secular nation. Today, Dalits have become MLC, MLA and Minister only because of Ambedkar,” he said.

Siddaramaiah said that the foundation of the Constitution is religious tolerance and brotherhood.
Alleging that the BJP Government is cutting down the free ration being given to poor people, he said that while the Congress was giving 7 kgs of rice under PDS, the BJP Government has reduced it to 5 kgs to each family of BPL category.
He said that the BJP is not working as per the Constitution of India, which is nothing but an anti-national act.

Earlier, he  participated in the procession where hundreds of people had gathered.