Daijiworld Media Network - Gadag
Gadag, April 23: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government in the state over rising prices of essential commodities, labelling it an “advertisement-driven government” that prioritises publicity over public welfare.
“This is not a people’s government. It is an advertisement-driven government. They are using newspapers and TV channels to deceive people through advertisements. Even after hiking fuel prices, Karnataka is not receiving any real benefits or seeing development,” said State BJP state president and MLA B Y Vijayendra, addressing a rally in Gadag as part of the party’s 'Janakrosh Yatra'.
Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led state government for increasing petrol prices by Rs 3.50 and diesel by Rs 5.50 per litre, while simultaneously spending heavily on promotional campaigns showcasing its guarantee schemes.
He expressed concern over the consistent rise in prices under the Congress regime, saying that it poses a major challenge for ordinary citizens.
The BJP leader further alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was “appeasing” the minority community through the state budget while neglecting the interests of the Hindu population. “We are raising public awareness about the injustices being committed against the Hindu community,” he said.
Vijayendra also accused the government of misappropriating Rs 38,500 crore meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, claiming the funds were diverted for unrelated purposes.
“We are undertaking the Janakrosh Yatra to protest against this corrupt Congress regime,” he stated, challenging the government to disclose the funding allocated to the Gadag district.
“In the last 20 months of the Siddaramaiah-led government, not a single new project has been initiated in Gadag or other districts. During the tenure of former BJP chief ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, Gadag received allocations of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore. How much has Siddaramaiah given for the development of Gadag?” he questioned.
Vijayendra also pointed to the severe drinking water crisis in the state, accusing the Congress government of failing to address even basic issues. “If they can’t fix the drinking water issue, how can we expect them to fund development? We don’t have any personal hatred towards Siddaramaiah, but there is a lot of debate around these so-called guarantees. When Yediyurappa was the chief minister, farmers had to pay just Rs 25,000 for electric connections to their fields. Now, under Siddaramaiah’s rule, it costs Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lac,” he said.
He added that the price of milk has increased by Rs 9 over the past 20 months, asking how the economically weaker sections are expected to manage under such conditions.
Meanwhile, former minister and MLA G Janardhana Reddy accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of promoting division among communities through the caste census and turning the state into a “demonic state”.
Reddy alleged that the chief minister was deliberately creating discord among different castes and communities. “The government is fostering disunity among the people through poor governance and unnecessary hikes in prices,” he said, adding that the Janakrosh Yatra was receiving widespread support across districts in Karnataka.
He also condemned what he described as attacks on Hindu culture, referring to a recent incident where a student was allegedly asked to remove their ‘Janivara’ (sacred thread) before writing an examination. “It is condemnable that a student was made to remove their Janivara while going to write an exam,” Reddy remarked.
The event witnessed the participation of several prominent BJP leaders including former deputy chief minister and MP Govind Karjol, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former minister B Sriramulu, chief whip of the opposition in the Council N Ravikumar, MLAs and former ministers C C Patil and G Janardhana Reddy, MLA Chandru Lamani, MLC S V Sankanur, former MLA Kalakappa Bandi, district BJP president Thotappa (Raju) Kuradagi, along with state and district office bearers, mandal presidents, and other party leaders.