Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP government in Karnataka of looting ₹1.5 lakh crore from the State and called upon people of the State to vote out the ‘corrupt’ government in the Assembly elections on May 10.
Addressing a public meeting at T. Narsipura in Mysuru district, Ms Gandhi brought up the allegations of the BJP government demanding ‘40% commission’ from contractors, and accused the regime of ‘shamelessly’ and ‘insensitively’ looting the State.
“Do you know what could have been done with ₹1.5 lakh crore,” she asked the gathering before claiming, “The money could be used to build 100 AIIMS (All India Institute Medical Sciences) hospitals, 2,250 km of six-lane expressway, 30,000 smart classrooms, 750 km of metro train lines, or 30 lakh affordable houses for the poor,” she said.
“Instead, where is the ₹1.5 lakh crore that is being looted going? It is going to their big industrialist friends and their party leaders,” she alleged while claiming that the poor people of the State were kept in poverty.
She said that the BJP did not get a mandate in the last Assembly elections, but came to power in Karnataka through ‘dishonest’ means by spending money. The BJP government, which came to power on the basis of ‘greed for power’, went on taking decisions that were ‘marked by greed’, she alleged.
Is Narendra Modi the election issue?
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reported remark that opposition leaders were ‘busy digging his grave’, Ms Gandhi said, “There is nobody in the country who does not wish good health for the Prime Minister, and he lead a long life. But, I wish to ask if this is an election issue?”
She questioned BJP leaders about their failure to raise issues affecting the people, like rise in prices of essential commodities and unemployment.
She called upon the people to ensure that the focus of the coming elections remains on the welfare of the people. “This election is not about Modiji nor about any leader from any party,” she said.
She told the gathering that the coming elections is about the welfare of the people of Karnataka, their livelihood and their pride.
Weakening KMF to prepare ground for Amul in Karnataka
Apart from accusing the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to weaken the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which markets Nandini brand of products, to prepare the ground for entry of Gujarat-based milk co-operative Amul, Ms Gandhi also accused the BJP government of failing to approve the Karnataka flag.
“The Karnataka flag is the symbol of Karnataka’s pride. But, the BJP government has not approved it till now,” she said.
The gathering included Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa and Tanveer Sait, MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
