Is BJP's 'Loot as its Duty' Poster a Slam on Congress-Led Karnataka Government?

Bengaluru, May 19 (NationPress) In anticipation of the Congress government's upcoming "Sadhana Samavesha" (Achievement Convention) set for Tuesday (May 20) to commemorate two years in power, the BJP unveiled a provocative poster titled “Karnataka Loot Congress Duty.”

Among those present during the poster launch were BJP State Chief Spokesperson Ashwath Narayan, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar, SC Morcha office secretary G. Prashanth, and party leader C. Munikrishna.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan in Bengaluru, Ashwath Narayan criticized the Congress administration for organizing the event in Hosapet, Vijayanagara district to flaunt its achievements over the last two years. He ridiculed the event, suggesting that the trailer for the Congress government's "achievement film" was already showcased in Bengaluru through heavy rains, with the full feature yet to arrive.

He specifically targeted Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for the recent chaos caused by rain in Bengaluru, holding him accountable. He claimed that even though the meteorological department had issued a warning about the rains a week earlier, the government took no preventive action.

Ashwath Narayan remarked: “The government has been branding Bengaluru as 'Brand Bengaluru' over the past two years and passed the Greater Bengaluru Bill in the last session. But what we see now is that Brand Bengaluru has evolved into Greater Bengaluru, and Greater Bengaluru has sadly transformed into Flooded Bengaluru. This represents the true achievement of this government.”

He accused the government of collecting crores in tax revenue from the city without initiating any significant development projects in Bengaluru. Instead, he claimed that D.K. Shivakumar is preoccupied with running advertisements in newspapers, which are being presented as accomplishments.

Ashwath Narayan stated that the Indian Meteorological Department had forecasted the monsoon's start for early June, with indications as early as the first week of May. Yet, neither the state government nor the Bengaluru Civic agency responsible for Greater Bengaluru took any measures to manage the situation.

He expressed frustration that BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath is dedicating time to issuing statements with D.K. Shivakumar in newspapers rather than engaging in meaningful work, alleging that no substantial actions have been taken by the commissioner.

He highlighted that regions such as Sai Layout, South Bengaluru, and Arakere are known for flooding during rains. Despite this, neither the elected representatives from those areas nor the BBMP nor Minister D.K. Shivakumar took any preventive measures, leaving D.K. Shivakumar accountable for the havoc caused by the rain.

Bengaluru North District President S. Harish commented that due to D.K. Shivakumar's governance style, both Brand and Greater Bengaluru have deteriorated.

He criticized Shivakumar for tending to matters in another district while tweeting, neglecting the struggles faced by Bengaluru's residents.

Harish pointed out that the absence of corporators in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) significantly contributes to the neglect. Bengaluru encompasses four major valleys—Hebbal, Challaghatta, Vrishabhavathi, and Koramangala—that span nearly 700 km. In the past, all stormwater drains in these valleys were cleaned and blockages removed before the monsoon season.

“Today, however, this government claims to lack funds for drain cleaning or pothole repairs, yet falsely promises to construct tunnel roads costing Rs 30 to Rs 40 crore,” Harish added.

He reminded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar that during previous floods in Sai Layout, both had visited the site by boat and assured a permanent solution. However, residents now curse the government for its inaction. Instead of addressing these issues, the government is concentrating on organizing achievement conventions, Harish stated.

He challenged the purpose of the event, questioning what achievements the Congress government could claim when it has disregarded the genuine problems facing Bengaluru and the state.

Meanwhile, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, remarked in Chamarajanagar, "The Congress is gearing up for a grand celebration to mark its two years in power, but this is not a 'Sadhana Samavesha'; it is a 'Vedaneya Samavesha' (convention of suffering) for the people."

He challenged the existence of any achievements without real development and sarcastically suggested that the government should rename the event to a “Convention of Suffering.”

Narayanaswamy critiqued the Congress for choosing Hospet, a historic venue linked to the Vijayanagara Empire, for their celebration.

“You’re choosing such a historic site to celebrate betrayal and deceit towards the populace,” he asserted.

He urged the government to address rising prices and their corruption openly. “How can the city be termed 'Greater Bengaluru' when no development has occurred? Initially, it was 'Brand Bengaluru', which has now become 'Brandy Bengaluru,'” he mocked.

“Now, they are dubbing it 'Greater Bengaluru'? It is merely the 'Greater Mistake of Congress,'” he remarked.

He further questioned the allocation of funds for a school associated with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge's family, asking, “On one side, you claim there’s no money, yet you provided Rs 9.90 crore to build a compound wall and toilets for Kharge’s school. Is there such apprehension when you see Kharge?”

Narayanaswamy noted that Kharge’s son, Minister Priyank Kharge, makes bold public statements against the BJP while the family organization, which includes his father, the AICC President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, son-in-law as Congress MP, and other relatives as office bearers, was granted 5 acres of land near the airport for their institution.

“They seized the land overnight. Only after we raised the issue did they swiftly return it,” he alleged.

“This government doesn’t even allocate funds for students to pay their fees. Can’t the school management construct a toilet independently? Was the compound wall so urgent?” he concluded by accusing the government of prioritizing corruption over the welfare of the people.