Belagavi: Hitting back at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, CM Siddaramaiah said on Friday that ‘jungle raj’ prevails in UP and not in Karnataka where the law and order situation under control. There was communal harmony and people celebrated the jayantis of not only Tipu Sultan but also of Ambedkar, Basavanna, Kanakadasa, Valmiki, Bhageerath, Rani Chennamma, Ambigara Chodayya besides sadhus and sufi saints, he added.

Addressing a programme after laying the foundation stone for developmental projects at Yamakanmardi, near Belagavi on Friday, Siddaramaiah said the leaders who were trying to disturb communal harmony were certainly not those who wanted development.

“We have started celebrating Krishna and Chennamma Jayanti and named Vijayapura's women's university after Akkamahadevi. Orders have been issued to display the portrait of lord Basaveshwara in all government offices. We don’t have to learn lessons in history from others,” he quipped.

The CM also took a dig at BJP leaders saying none of them were present when he replied to their questions on development of north-Karnataka in the state assembly during the winter session of the legislature.

“The government took up a series of works for this region in the past four years which I highlighted in my reply. Let them (BJP leaders) question me on the statistics presented by me on the works taken up in this region, I am ready for an open debate with them,” he added. PM Modi had not responded to the request of the all party delegation from the state which demanded waiver of farmer loans in nationalised banks, he said adding that former PM Dr Manmohan Singh had waived farmer loans in the state to the tune of Rs 72 crore when he was PM.

“I would like to know why it is not possible for the Centre to help farmers,” he said.