Mysore/Mysuru: Bhagwanth Khuba, Union Minister of State for Chemicals, Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy, said: “The only State Government which has lost popularity within one month of coming to power is of Karnataka State.”

He was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of International Tuberculosis Conclave 2023, organised by the Departments of Community Medicine and Respiratory Medicine, JSS Medical College, JSS AHER, at Shivarathreeshwara Nagar, Bannimantap, here this morning.

Khuba said: “The H. Kantharaj Commission’s Report on Caste Census after conducting Socio-Economic and Educational Survey has been deliberately turned into a controversy only to gain mileage in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Polls. Be it any matter, there will be mixed opinions, but how far it is right to take advantage of such matters. As a party, BJP opposes this attitude of the Government.”

Referring to former Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Panauti’ (Bad Omen) attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Indian cricket team losing the recent World Cup finals against Australia, Khuba said: “When he (Rahul Gandhi) has emerged as world leader, he has been making such low remarks merely for the sake of power.”

“There is no anti-incumbency against the Central Government and will return to power in the next Parliamentary Elections. For drought relief, the State Government should send a proposal and the relief will be provided as per National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reforms,” said Khuba.

When asked about CM Siddharamaiah’s opposition to Centre’s Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, Khuba said: “It is their habit to oppose all, like in the case of National Education Policy (NEP) – 2020 which was introduced on the basis of opinions of several lakhs of people.”