Person who refused to provide oxygen is here to perform Yoga: Congress slams PM's visit

Bengaluru: Congress on Monday raked a host of issues including flood relief, and COVID failures as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “betrayal of Kannadiga people.”

Siddaramaiah attacked PM Modi saying that in 2091-20, when the state was experiencing the worst flood situation, PM Modi did not bother to visit. He did not even assure people let alone compensate them. “Everyone knows that he has only betrayed the people of the state,” he said.

Recalling the merger of the banks, he said: “The banks of the state were merged with other banks and PM Modi was responsible for it,” he stated.

These banks with 70,000 staff, had deposits of Rs 317 lakh crore. They provided jobs for local Kannadigas. After the merger, were the jobs given to Kannada people? Is this not a betrayal to the Kananda people? Siddaramaiah wondered.

At the peak of the Covid wave, the Centre did not provide oxygen and on being directed by the High Court, it challenged the HC’s order in the Supreme Court, he stated.

Siddaramaiah further stated that Karnataka has given Rs 18 lakh crore as taxes to the central government in the last eight years. The state should have got 42 percent of the share. The 15th Finance Commission recommended a Rs 5,495 crore special package to Karnataka.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should have ensured that it is granted. But, she did not. The grant was stopped by PM Modi, he stated.

The person who refused to provide oxygen is here to perform Yoga. There is no reply to the 40 percent commission allegation by the Contractor’s Association against the ruling BJP government in Karnataka. “Let PM Modi come to our land, but he must answer to all these,” he said.

D.K. Shivakumar stated that Congress condemns the authorities’ move to declare a holiday in schools and colleges in the wake of PM Modi’s visit.

“This is unfortunate. Karnataka is a peaceful state. Kannada people are educated. They will not take law into their hands at any point. I don’t understand if protests are staged lawfully and why is the government worried so much about it,” he stated. “Our students should not be used for political gains,” he added.

(With IANS inputs)