JD(S) to send separate delegation to Delhi

Bangalore, Jul 1: Janata Dal(S) today rejected the appeal of the BJP government in Karnataka to join an all-party delegation to Delhi to press the Centre for among other things sufficient stocks of chemical fertilisers in the wake of severe shortage of the agri input.

Speaking to reporters JD(S) state unit President Merajuddin Patel said that he would leave for Delhi tomorrow and meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to appraise them the situation arising out of the shortage and take up other state related matters.

"We decided against going in a joint delegation as the BJP leaders cannot be relied upon. They are giving contradicting statements and confusing farmers.

"While the Agriculture minister S A Ravindranath say that there is enough stock, the Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is 'harshly' criticising the Centre for 'betraying' Karnataka farmers by not allocating enough fertilisers," he said.

Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who also spoke, said his party would support the state government with regard to taking up the matter with the Centre and other issues like reimbursement of funds to the state government on the loan waiver it had taken up last year, special status to backward Hyderabad-Karnatak region and according classical status to Kannada.

"The delegation will not serve any purpose and the BJP government lacks conviction and is not serious about the issues. It is only pretending to help the farmers and has failed to come to their help.

When it has not made the position of the fertiliser of stocks clear, we don't want to go to Delhi with them and lose face," he said.

He said Union Fertiliser minister was touring abroad, while the Finance Minister P Chidambaram had assured that it would consider reimbursement of state's farm loan waiver.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had said that the UPA government was seized of the matter in giving classical status to Kannada and Telugu.

Meanwhile, he said, the BJP which led the previous NDA government was not interested in giving special status to the North Eastern districts with then Home Minister L K Advani saying that it would be 'impossible', to extend such a status.

"In these circumstances what is the use in taking a all-party delegation to Delhi. BJP simply want to raise some dust and it has no conviction. We will not back them at this juncture but take the issues to Delhi on our own," he added.

UNI