New Minister Lad Criticizes Centre’s Stepmotherly Treatment of Congress States

On August 5, Santosh Lad, newly sworn-in Minister in D.K. Shivakumar's cabinet, welcomed BJP leaders' visit to drought-hit Karnataka and urged them to submit reports for funds from the Union government. Speaking in Hubballi, he criticized stepmotherly treatment of Congress-ruled states by the Centre and called for changes in crop insurance rules. He also addressed interim relief demands by farmers and portfolio allocation likely within two to three days. Lad acknowledged a need for development funds in Hubballi-Dharwad and commented on BJP's election tactics, emphasizing Gen-Z’s influence.