Bengaluru, Feb 16 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra raised alarms on Monday regarding the government's focus on international trips for MLAs, particularly criticizing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for sending Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao to Australia and New Zealand. This decision has sparked serious concerns about the government's priorities, especially as vulnerable populations in the state are enduring significant challenges.

During a press briefing at the BJP state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, he highlighted the distress of low-income patients in rural government hospitals due to a lack of medicines. Reports suggest that numerous surgeries are being delayed.

Vijayendra called out the Health Minister and Chief Minister for their neglect of this pressing issue, emphasizing that before sending ministers abroad, the government must guarantee a sufficient supply of essential medications.

He alleged that the Congress-led government, unable to tolerate the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has even targeted Jan Aushadhi centers.

Further, he raised suspicions among the populace that the government may be intentionally creating a medicine shortage in rural areas to facilitate irregular purchases without proper tendering processes.

Vijayendra urged the state administration to act promptly and resolve these critical issues.

He questioned how much additional political power Siddaramaiah desires, given his current position, and urged him to address the plight of shepherds in the state, noting that Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba (shepherd) community.

He claimed that compensation under the Anugraha scheme for unexpected sheep deaths is not being disbursed. Approximately 90,000 sheep and goats have perished, with Rs 45 crore in pending compensation, while only about 30,000 animals have received relief.

Vijayendra called on Yathindra to ensure the overdue compensation is released.

He mentioned that during his father’s tenure, former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa allocated Rs 550 crore through various boards for the development of youth from marginalized communities. He urged for a minimum of Rs 1,000 crore to be set aside in the upcoming budget, along with calls for empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Responding to a query, Vijayendra labeled Minister Priyank Kharge’s comments regarding coastal districts as an unforgivable offense. He challenged Kharge to disclose how many IT and BT industries he has attracted to coastal regions and Kalaburagi as the IT-BT Minister.

Vijayendra also referred to remarks from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, who implied that conditions would improve for D. K. Shivakumar and others post the Shivaratri festival, without mentioning the public's welfare.

This was interpreted as a subtle hint towards the Chief Minister's resignation.

He alleged that Yathindra suggested joining the Cabinet if the Chief Minister steps down.

Vijayendra stated that Yathindra's comments reflected an acknowledgment of the Congress government's failure to serve the people over the past two and a half years. He noted that Yathindra’s statements resonated with the public sentiment and indicated a recognition of their grievances.

Present at the press conference were N. Ravikumar, Legislative Council Chief Whip of the Opposition, N. S. Nandisha Reddy, BJP State General Secretary, Shantaram Budna Siddi, Legislative Council member, and Niranjan Kumar, Chamarajanagar district president and former MLA.