Is the Congress-led Karnataka government really bankrupt?

Bengaluru, July 8 (NationPress) BJP Central Parliamentary Board member and former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa asserted on Tuesday that the Congress-led state administration is in a state of financial ruin, lacking the resources necessary to initiate any development projects within the state.

While addressing journalists at the State BJP Office "Jagannath Bhavan" in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa stated, "We have consistently highlighted the fact that the Congress government is bankrupt. There is no development occurring in the state. The government is incapable of releasing funds for any developmental endeavors."

He further mentioned that there have been no allocations for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme over the last three months.

Under the Anna Bhagya initiative, the government owes approximately Rs 250 crore to lorry owners responsible for transporting food grains.

He urged the state administration to urgently convene a meeting with G.R. Shanmugappa, President of the Lorry Owners' Association, and take appropriate measures.

Yediyurappa claimed that every program initiated by the Congress administration is merely for publicity, lacking genuine effort for effective implementation.

"All these facts and documents clearly indicate that the government is bankrupt," he remarked.

He demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with other ministers, recognize the prevailing situation and reveal the actual financial condition of the state.

In a related matter, State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra accused the Congress government of undermining the Anna Bhagya free rice program initiated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to the media in Shivamogga on Tuesday, Vijayendra noted, "They initially committed to providing 10 kg of rice, which was later reduced to 5 kg. Now, even that is being halted."

He observed that Karnataka is moving towards a state of financial bankruptcy.

He added that the government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are struggling to gather funds.

The state administration is even facing challenges in providing salaries to its employees, he stated.

"The Chief Minister has lost control over governance. Even Congress MLAs have lost faith in him. The government lacks funds even for lorry rentals required for transporting Anna Bhagya food grains or to pay salaries to state employees. State Excise Minister R.B. Timmapur has even acknowledged that some guarantee schemes may need to be terminated," Vijayendra responded to a question.

When questioned about the unfortunate stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory parade that resulted in 11 fatalities, the State BJP President remarked, "It was the Chief Minister himself who tweeted and invited people to the RCB felicitation event. They are now concealing the truth and attempting to place blame solely on RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). This is part of a cover-up conspiracy."

He criticized that the stampede was a consequence of the prestige conflict between Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar, stemming from their obsession with publicity and stubbornness.