Karnataka Dy CM Shivakumar threatening industrialists: BJP

Bengaluru, Dec 27 Referring to discussions on moving out of Foxconn from Karnataka, the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Saturday, charged that the Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is threatening industrialists in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said: "In the last two-and-a-half years, several companies, from Ather Energy to others, had moved out of the state. Toyota had gone to another state, and Foxconn's second unit had also moved elsewhere."

Many industrialists were leaving Karnataka opposing the Congress government's anti-investment policies, he alleged.

He said that the agreement with Foxconn was signed when BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai was the Chief Minister and asked what current State Minister for IT and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge and the State Industries Minister M.B. Patil had to say about it.

The State BJP President accused the Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar of threatening industrialists in the state.

Vijayendra said apartment associations had submitted representations to Deputy CM Shivakumar in Bengaluru and even they were threatened.

He alleged that the state government had descended into goondaism and was failing on all fronts.

Referring to the Lokayukta raids on Sarfaraz Khan, an aide of Karnataka Housing Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, State BJP President Vijayendra said that Rs 14.35 crore had been seized and questioned whether this was not corruption.

He added that senior Congress MLA B.R. Patil had accused Sarfaraz Khan of demanding bribes a year ago and that an audio tape had been leaked, and asked what action the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) had taken then.

He asked why the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was adopting a soft approach in this matter.

Vijayendra also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress could not tolerate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were unable to accept his popularity.

"They (Congress) keep complaining against the Centre, while having achieved nothing themselves."

He added that the Union government had renamed Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, and that too had become an issue, with criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The State BJP President asked whether the Congress had the moral right to criticise the Prime Minister.

He said that Prime Minister Modi had implemented Mahatma Gandhi's dream of a "Clean India" , and accused the Congress of shedding crocodile tears over Gandhiji.

He added that to ensure the youth remember leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and B.R. Ambedkar, the NDA government under PM Narendra Modi's leadership had built memorials, something the Congress had not done.

The State BJP President said the Narendra Modi-led Union government had built 12 crore toilets and developed the Sabarmati Ashram, and criticised the Congress and CM Siddaramaiah for opposing merely the change of names.

He alleged that the Congress could not tolerate Prime Minister Modi as he comes from an extremely backward community.

Vijayendra said that during the Karnataka Assembly's recent Winter session in Belagavi, Ministers showed no seriousness in responding to burning issues of the state.

He alleged that Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar had given wrong information to the House regarding the release of funds under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and later had to apologise.

The State BJP President said there was also discussion on the State Revenue Minister Krishna

He added that while there were long discussions on the problems of North Karnataka, farmers' issues, law and order, the state government and the Chief Minister failed to give proper answers regarding farmers' problems, irrigation projects and issues concerning North Karnataka.

He alleged that Ministers wasted time for months before the Winter session in breakfast and dinner meetings, and the session continued with power struggles, infighting and meetings instead of focusing on solutions to North Karnataka's problems.

Vijayendra said he had advised that unless leadership issues within the Congress were resolved, the Assembly session should not be held or should be postponed.

Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan, MLAs M. Krishnappa and K. Gopalaiah, and State Chief Spokesperson C.N. Ashwath Narayan were present.

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