BJP leaders, including Bommai, detained during protest over FCI rice issue in Karnataka

Several top leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, were recently detained while protesting against the Karnataka government’s alleged dishonesty. The rally was staged by the BJP in response to a Congress demonstration against the Centre for not providing rice to the state and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, along with a large number of Congress workers, joined the protest. 
 
The BJP is upset by the fact that the Congress government promised to give free rice to the state’s poor people, but did not ask for any form of assistance, which they consider a big project. However, the Congress party has accused the Central government of indulging in hate politics and has said that they are unwilling to supply rice to the state. The ruling and opposition parties in Karnataka have been engaged in an ongoing battle over rice supplies. 
 
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the Centre of engaging in hate politics and has said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have agreed to supply rice to the state, but then reneged on the offer. In response, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has stated that the state does not require free rice and is capable of buying it themselves. He has confirmed that the state has spoken to nearby states, including Chhattisgarh and Punjab. 
 
The Congress government in Karnataka has implemented the Anna Bhagya programme, which envisages giving Below Poverty Line households and Antyodaya cardholders 10kg of food grains for free, starting from July 1. This scheme was one of the five election promises made by the Congress party ahead of the Karnataka assembly election. 
 
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has denied the allegations made by Siddaramaiah and has stated that the change in Open Market Sale Scheme policy was decided four days before Karnataka requested additional rice sales to feed its population. He tweeted the minutes of the Inter-ministerial committee meeting, which show that the change in OMSS policy was already suggested in view of the increase in price of wheat and rice across the country. 
 
The protesting and counter-protesting continue in Karnataka, where the BJP and Congress parties are blaming each other for the lack of rice supplies to the state. However, Deputy CM Shivakumar has confirmed that the government is capable of purchasing the rice itself, without any external support.