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If there are any objections to the guarantee schemes, BJP leaders should clearly state their opposition immediately and, similarly, announce in the states governed by the BJP that all current guarantee schemes will be discontinued. Why, instead, are BJP leaders trying to destabilize guarantee schemes in Karnataka? Do they harbor hatred for the people of Karnataka?

Now, the Home Minister Amit Shah, who has arrived in Karnataka, has vented his envy towards our government by saying ’the treasury is empty because of the guarantee schemes’. If this is Amit Shah’s firm opinion, he should participate in a public debate with me. I can prove that our treasury is not empty because of the guarantee schemes; instead, there is an unfair distribution of taxes from the Centre to the state. This is also a challenge to Amit Shah.

When talking about Karnataka, the same BJP leaders who oppose the guarantee schemes in our state are promising to implement the same guarantee schemes in the states they govern. The honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who opposed our guarantee schemes, has now stolen not only our guarantee schemes but also the name ’guarantee’ and is advertising under the same name. This shows the anti-poor stance and intellectual bankruptcy of that party.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Amit Shah and local BJP leaders, their real opposition is not to the guarantee schemes but to the beneficiaries of these schemes, the poor. There is a history of BJP and the Sangh Parivar opposing any programs intended for the poor. Even when the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called for ’Garibi Hatao’ (Eradicate Poverty), the same RSS-BJP opposed it. They have always opposed social justice programs including land reforms and reservations. The poor should give a fitting reply to this.

During my first term as Chief Minister, the BJP leaders had shown their intolerance and jealousy towards the welfare programs for the poor like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya, and Indira Canteen that I had introduced. The central government, which had refused to provide the rice required for the Anna Bhagya scheme, is now selling the same rice under the brand Bharat. The central government, which had refused to provide rice at Rs. 33 per kilo when we asked, is now selling it at Rs. 29 per kilo. In summary, the BJP has intolerance towards the poor, farmers, women, and workers of Karnataka.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who speaks against our guarantee schemes, shows disdain for Kannadigas. Opposition to the Kannada flag, attempts at Hindi imposition, and the conspiracy to favor Amul over Nandini are all achievements of Amit Shah. If the central government has to provide disaster relief, a high-level committee meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah has to decide. Amit Shah, who is antagonistic towards Kannadigas, does not even call for such a meeting. Such people come to our state and lecture us.

Reducing the hardships of the poor and wiping their tears is the true devotion to God, as I understand. No matter how many times you chant the name of Rama while causing harm to the poor, it is futile. What is the use of offering Naivedya to God without providing food to the poor? What is the benefit of building temples for God without providing homes to the poor? Those who oppose the guarantee schemes cannot have the mercy of any Rama. They cannot have the blessings of Mother Chamundeshwari.