Page 2 - Siddaramaiah

Centre neglects Kannada, imposes Hindi, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the Centre of neglecting Kannada and imposing Hindi. He also called upon people of the state to oppose those who are 'anti-Kannada'. "The federal government is meting out step-motherly treatment to Karnataka," Siddaramaiah said during his address on the occasion of the state foundation day (Rajyotsava Day) here in the state capital. He charged that the state provides Rs 4.5 lakh crore revenue to the Centre, but it is denied its rightful share and is given a paltry amount in return. Stating that injustice is being done to Kannada language, the chief minister said, "There are continuous attempts to impose Hindi. Grants are given for the development of Hindi and Sanskrit while other languages of the country are being neglected." He also said that Karnataka is denied funds for the development of the state. "Injustice is being done to the classical language Kannada by denying adequate funds for its growth. We have to oppose all

BJP hits out at CM Siddaramaiah after KSTDC promotes Wayanad travel package

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation's (KSTDC) social media post promoting Wayanad in neighbouring Kerala as a tourist destination has drawn criticism from opposition BJP, which has hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling it "high command appeasement" to save chair. Congress top leader Priyanka Gandhi is the Member of Parliament from Wayanad. The KSTDC's post on 'X' on October 28, promoting its two-night and three-day tour package to the hill station said, " Seeking thrill or tranquillity? Find both in Wayanad! Trek scenic trails, chase waterfalls & meet the wild with KSTDC. Your perfect nature escape awaits." Reacting to this, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly, R Ashoka asked Siddaramaiah as to how long will Karnataka tolerate a Chief Minister who behaves like "Wayanad's District Collector and fund raiser"? "You (Siddaramaiah) signed off Rs 10 crore of Karnataka taxpayers' money to Wayanad at lightning speed. You gave away Rs 15 lakhs to the ..

Karnataka HC stays state order on govt lands seen as restricting RSS events

Justice M Nagaprasanna passed an interim order staying the directive and scheduled the next hearing for November 17

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw meets CM Siddaramaiah, deputy CM on Diwali

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Tuesday met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar and greeted them on the occasion of Diwali, official sources said. Shaw has been critical of Bengaluru's infrastructure woes by highlighting them through her social media posts, and has been repeatedly urging the state government to intervene. "Biocon chief Kiran Muzumdar-Shaw visited Cauvery (CM's official residence) and wished Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Diwali. Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti was present on the occasion," the CM's office said in a statement. Shah met Shivakumar at his Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru, the Deputy CM's office said. The state government has come under criticism over the poor state of roads and traffic issues in the city for some time now, with industry veterans like former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Shaw repeatedly openly urging the state government to immediately intervene. Faced with mounting criticism from industry

BJP accuses Karnataka govt of 'tax chori' over Bengaluru grievances

In an apparent counter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" barb centered around Karnataka, the state BJP on Tuesday levelled "tax chori" allegation against the party-led government following a citizens forum's recent grievance aired to the state Chief Minister. BJP leader R Ashoka accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of "tax Chori" (tax theft) and said Bengaluru deserves action to address its infrastructure woes, not excuses and intimidation. Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, attacked the government by highlighting a citizens forum's letter urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene and direct the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) not to collect property tax from residents, complaining that "unscientific and incomplete" civic works in their locality have led to flooding and poor road conditions. Ashoka's tax theft allegation is also seen as a counter to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" (votes theft) charge made against t

Sudha, Narayana Murty mistaken on Karnataka survey, says CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy and author Sudha Murty have "some misconceptions" about the ongoing social and educational survey being conducted in the state. "There is a notion that this is a survey for backward castes," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. "It is not a backward classes survey. Let them write whatever they want. People should understand what this survey is about. What can I do if they are unable to understand?" he said. The chief minister's remarks came after the Murthys declined to take part in the survey, noting on the pro forma that they do not belong to backward communities. "Should Infosys (founder) mean Brihaspati' (intelligent)? We have said 20 times it's not a backward classes survey but a survey for everyone," Siddaramaiah said. He said the government had launched welfare schemes such as Shakti, which offers free bus rides to women in non-luxury government buses, and Gruha Lakshmi, which provides Rs

Karnataka govt approves Bengaluru Business Corridor; to cut traffic by 40%

The project, which was previously known as the Peripheral Ring Road, has now been renamed as Bengaluru Business Corridor and is expected to be completed within two years

Bengaluru pothole filling picks up pace after residents' tax warning

The Individual Tax Payers Forum wrote a letter to the Karnataka CM, urging the govt to stop the Greater Bengaluru Authority from collecting tax if they were not provided with good public infra

Karnataka CM orders review of TN's ban on RSS activities in govt spaces

The move comes after Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge urged CM Siddaramaiah to bar RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples

Karnataka schools to remain closed from October 8-18 for 'caste survey'

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has declared a holiday for govt and govt-aided schools from Oct 8 to Oct 18, 2025, allowing teachers involved in the ongoing 'caste survey' to complete their work

Lingayats renew demand for separate religion status at Basava event

The Lingayat community, led by several of its seers, has renewed its call for a separate religion status. The demand came at the valedictory function of 'Basava Culture Campaign-2025' organised by "Lingayat Matadeeshara Okkoota". Among the five resolutions adopted at the function on Sunday are raising awareness about religious recognition for Lingayats. "All Lingayats are Indians first. Lingayat religion is the religion of Kannada. Country comes before religion. Always strive for the unity of the country with national consciousness," said the resolution. Noting that Lingayat religion is the greatest religion founded by Mahatma Basaveshwara and other Sharanas in the 12th century, it said, "Geographically, we are all Hindus. Continue to raise awareness for religious recognition so that Lingayats get government benefits and reservation facilities like Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs." Claiming that Lingayat religion is the true religion of equality, brotherhood, and human values, it said,

Caste census tech issues resolved, survey to speed up now: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the technical issues affecting the Social and Educational Surveywidely referred to as the "caste census"have "almost been sorted out", and that the survey will now proceed in a full-fledged manner. He asserted that the survey would be completed within the stipulated period and stressed that there would be no extension. Concerns have been raised over the "slow pace of the survey", with technical glitches and server issues affecting data collection. Siddaramaiah chaired a video-conference meeting with ministers, senior officials, Backward Classes Commission Chairman Madhusudan R Naik, Deputy Commissioners (DCs), and Zilla Panchayat CEOs of all districts. The survey, being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22 and is scheduled to continue until October 7. "The survey work started on September 22 and will be completed by October 7. There are some technical issues, all of which have t

Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurates Dasara festival in Mysuru

The famous Mysuru Dasara festival commenced in the city and palaces on Monday with religious and traditional fervour, with International Booker Prize-winning writer Banu Mushtaq inaugurating the festivities. Mushtaq inaugurated the festivities during the auspicious "Vrushchika Lagna" by showering flowers on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru and its royals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns by priests, at the premises of Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi Hills here. Celebrated as 'Nada Habba' (state festival), the 11-day Dasara or 'Sharan Navaratri' festivities are expected to be a grand affair this year, showcasing Karnataka's rich culture and traditions, coupled with reminiscence of royal pomp and glory. In the inaugural event, Mushtaq was accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, several ministers in the state cabinet, among others. Earlier, Mushtaq, along with CM and other dignitaries, visited the Chamundeshwari temple and offered prayers to th

CM Siddaramaiah announces ₹70,000 cr irrigation boost for Kalyana Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday greeted citizens on Kalyana Karnataka Liberation Day and reaffirmed his government's commitment to the region's all-round development by outlining key initiatives, budget allocations and upcoming projects. He said the occasion was a reminder of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of Hyderabad-Karnataka from the Nizam's rule. Whilst the rest of India was celebrating independence on 15 August 1947, this region was still not free. The atrocities of the Razakars had reached unbearable limits, he said, recalling that the region was integrated into the Indian Union thanks to the determination of local heroes and the resolve of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. The CM paid homage to several freedom fighters, including Sharanagouda Inamdar, Raja Venkatappa Nayak, Dattatreya Avaradi, Shivamurthy Swamy Alavandi, Matamari Nagappa and many others, ..

8 killed, 22 injured after truck rams into Ganesh procession in Karnataka

Karnataka CM Siddaramiah expressed grief on the death of the people and offered condolences to the families of the bereaved, and provided a compensation of ₹5 lakh to each of the families

Siddaramaiah blames 'mass hysteria' for Bengaluru stampede at RCB parade

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah blamed 'mass hysteria' for the Bengaluru stampede, recalling 20 stampedes in BJP-ruled states, while BJP said he and Dy CM Shivakumar must take blame

20 stampedes happened in BJP-ruled states: CM Siddaramaiah in Assembly

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said 20 stampedes took place in the BJP-ruled states, and blamed "mass hysteria" for the Chinnaswamy stadium incident in June that killed 11 people. Replying to a discussion in the Assembly on the June 4 stampede, the Chief Minister read out the list of stampedes starting from the one that occurred on August 3, 2008, at Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, when Prem Singh Dhumal was the Chief Minister, followed by the stampede in Jodhpur in 2008, which killed 250 people. The stampedes he referred to include the one that had taken place in Ratangarh in 2013, Haridwar in 2021, Sehore in MP in 2023, and Hathras in UP in which 121 people were killed in 2024. He also spoke about the Prayagraj stampede during Kumbh Mela in January this year that claimed the lives of 39 people. CM also talked about the Gujarat Morbi bridge collapse in 2022 in which 135 people were killed. "Did Yogi Adityanath resign as UP CM" after Kum

Karnataka debt jumps to ₹63,000 cr in FY24; CAG blames guarantee schemes

Karnataka's debt rose to ₹63,000 crore in 2023-24, with CAG flagging diversion of ?5,299 crore from infrastructure funds to guarantee schemes, raising concerns over public finances

Karnataka-specific education policy in the works: CM Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said steps are being taken by the state government to frame a comprehensive "Karnataka-specific" education policy which will lead to holistic development of the youth. A commission constituted for this purpose has recommended a two-language policy in school education and that Kannada or the mother tongue be the medium of instruction up to Class 5. In his address during the 79th Independence Day celebrations here, the chief minister also said the government was upgrading first-grade colleges and polytechnics in the state, and establishing 13 new technical education institutions. "Recently, the State Education Policy Commission, chaired by Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, submitted its report. For the first time, steps are being taken to frame a comprehensive, Karnataka-specific education policy which will lead to holistic development of our youth," Siddaramaiah said. The Commission had submitted its report to Siddaramaiah on August 8. It was constituted i

Treating stray dogs as nuisance is 'cruelty', not governance: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be removed' is not governance, it is "cruelty". His remarks came after the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters "at the earliest". The top court noted that there was an "extremely grim" situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children. "Treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be removed' is not governance - it is cruelty. Humane societies find solutions that protect people and animals," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X' on Tuesday. "Sterilisation, vaccination, and community care work. Fear-driven measures only create more suffering, not safety," he said. The chief minister's post was in reaction to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's post in which he has said that the SC directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy, and stressed that "blanket remova