BJP has no moral right to talk about 'Brand Bengaluru': CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at the opposition BJP questioning the contribution of the party in taking up development works in Bengaluru when its government was in power for four years in the state. His comments came in response to the BJP’s accusation that no development work was taking place in Bengaluru, the state capital.

”We came just six months ago. Before that, the BJP was in power for four years. Did they make ‘Brand Bengaluru’? What did they do in four years,” Siddaramaiah asked while talking to reporters here.

‘Brand Bengaluru’ is an initiative of the Congress government aimed at developing Bengaluru into a global city. ”They (BJP) couldn’t even fill potholes. People (Judges) in the High Court were scolding them and passing strictures and comments as well. What moral right do they (BJP) have to talk about Bengaluru,” the Chief Minister said. Regarding the BJP’s allegations that the governance has taken a beating as ”all the ministers have camped” in Telangana (for election-related work of the Congress), Siddaramaiah clarified that only a few, and not all, have gone there.

”Some have gone. After all, we have to do politics as well. People there (in Telangana) had called them (Karnataka ministers),” the chief minister said.

Siddaramaiah said the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Muniyappa and Energy Minister K J George have returned, while Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan are still in Telangana, where the Congress won the Assembly elections.