Belagavi: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday made a scathing attack against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his “excessive” use of helicopters and special flights, at a time when the state was reeling under acute drought.

Addressing the media after the party legislature meeting in Belagavi, Kumaraswamy said the government was splurging “unnecessarily” instead of exercising austerity.

“The chief minister has been using the helicopter at every given opportunity. A helipad has also been constructed here, so that Siddaramaiah can land right in front of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. When there is drought in state, is there need for such indulgences?”

He also said that though there were 20-odd flights to New Delhi from Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah always chose to fly to the national capital on a special flight. “When I was the chief minister, I rarely used the helicopters or special flights. Even during the Grama Vastavya visits, I used to travel by road or by train. The government should cut down on these unnecessary expenditures and divert the funds for drought relief,” he added.

Kumaraswamy also took a dig at Siddaramaiah for according Cabinet rank to around 110 newly appointed chairpersons of boards and corporations last month. “Is the chief minister so insecure of his chair that he has to appease his party workers and legislators by misusing public funds? During my stint as chief minister, I never appointed my party men as chairpersons to boards and corporations. The BJP however did not shy away from doing so,” he added

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had stayed away from the lavish wedding of Small Scale Industries Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi’s son on Monday in Gokak, took a helicopter from Belagavi to convey his wishes to the newly married couple in their home town. Siddaramaiah visited their house in Gokak and had breakfast with the Jarkiholi family on Tuesday.

To queries from reporters, whether he should have used a helicopter to reach Gokak, which is around 60 km from Belagavi, Siddaramaiah said, “Should I not even convey my best wishes to the couple? The legislature session is on and I have to be present during the proceedings. That is the reason why I took the helicopter.”

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy demanded that Home Minister G Parameshwara reveal whether he attended G Janardhana Reddy’s daughter’s wedding in the city in his personal car or the government car.

“The Home minister has stated that he attended the wedding in his personal capacity. I want to know if he is a 24/7 home minister or a part-time minister. He should reveal whether he attended the wedding in his personal car or the government car,” he added.