Is Bengaluru Trapped in a ‘Branded Hell’?

Bengaluru, May 20 (NationPress) H.D. Kumaraswamy, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, has criticized the Karnataka government and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for their gross negligence as the city grapples with the adverse effects of continuous rain.

“While citizens are facing danger and fighting for survival, Congress leaders are preoccupied with organizing a ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ (achievement convention). For the last week, the emphasis has been on vibrant advertisements filled with guarantees instead of effective governance,” Kumaraswamy stated.

He described the situation of Bengaluru’s inhabitants as living in a “branded hell,” emphasizing that the city is suffering while its leaders focus on publicity stunts.

“The genuine accomplishments of the Congress government are now submerged in the city’s flooded roads and blocked drains. Holding a Sadhana Samavesha for a defunct government is utterly disgraceful,” he added.

In his statements targeting D.K. Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy asserted, “Instead of delivering hollow speeches and disparaging the opposition, he should concentrate on real work. Merely sitting in a war room and launching proxy battles against JD (S) and BJP will not yield results.”

He raised questions about the legitimacy of the “Brand Bengaluru” initiative. “What have you accomplished to justify the title ‘Greater Bengaluru’? Who is this branding for? Is it merely a superficial tag to mask widespread corruption?”

Kumaraswamy further alleged that for Shivakumar, the Bengaluru Urban Development Department has become the “Bengaluru Cash Development Department.”

“It’s like an endless pit that dispenses money at will. How much cash has fallen from the skies in the past two years? Wherever he intervenes, cash flows. But what about the people? Endless taxes. How many times has Sai Layout been inundated in the past two years? How many visits has the Deputy CM made? What did he achieve as Urban Development Minister previously? All he did was use the ministry for personal financial gain,” he said.

Kumaraswamy also highlighted that during his 20-month term in 2006, he initiated 58 road widening projects, launched Phase 1 of Namma Metro, and improved major roads such as Airport Road, Nelamangala Road, and Electronic City Road.

“When a lake was reclaimed to develop Dollar’s Colony in JP Nagar, who ensured the homes there didn’t flood? That was my administration. My tenures were limited—20 months with the BJP and later 14 months with the Congress. But my work is documented. I invite you to read it,” he claimed.