Bengaluru, Jan 26 (IANS): The BJP in Karnataka on Saturday came down heavily on the Congress-led government in the state, saying that without the backing of the current establishment, microfinancing scams would not have progressed so far.
Speaking to the media at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Saturday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, criticised the state government, alleging its support for the microfinance scams.
"Without the government’s backing, these scams would not have progressed this far. This has turned into a racket for the police to collect money from both sides," he said.
Narayanaswamy further stated that online gaming poses a threat ten times greater than microfinance-related issues.
He charged that some ministers and MLAs of the Congress-led government are involved with online gaming companies and are extorting money from the public.
"Many youths are being ruined due to online gaming. Misleading advertisements on social media claim that games like rummy can bring easy money, luring people into financial traps. Several individuals, after losing money in these games, resort to theft to repay their debts. Today’s increase in robberies and thefts is mainly due to this issue," he said.
He pointed out that only after several incidents of suicides did the government finally convene a meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue.
He added: "The government has now spoken about bringing in a new law and taking strict measures to control such activities."
Despite many leaders raising concerns about the issues related to microfinance, the government had failed to take any action.
“Finally, a decision has been made today. The government has announced that anyone obstructing loan recovery or sending goons to harass borrowers will be arrested. While this decision is welcome for the welfare of the people,’” he stated.
He emphasised the need to investigate the root causes of these problems.
“Online gaming is leading to thefts and robberies,” he said.
He also highlighted how many individuals have quit their jobs to indulge in these games, while others, burdened by mounting debts, are committing suicide.
Narayanaswamy called for strict action against online gaming and criticised the government for allegedly protecting those involved in such activities.
BJP MLC N. Ravikumar demanded that the state government release a white paper on the actions taken regarding complaints related to exorbitant interest collection by the money lenders, including microfinance companies.
He questioned the Congress-led government: "Were you sitting idle until over 7.8 lakh complaints were filed? What measures have you taken so far? How many people have been arrested?”
He highlighted that Belagavi district alone accounted for the highest number of complaints at 2,71,466, followed by Bagalkote with 89,087, Vijayapura with 75,000, and Mandya with 42,500.