From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bagalkot, Jan 18: Congress opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah and KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar launched a frontal attack against the ruling BJP and dubbed it as ‘factory of lies’ and lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for favouring corporate bigwigs uch as Adanis and Ambanis while subjecting the people to price rise and hardships.

As the Congress party’s Prajadhwani Bus Yatra entered Bagalkot district along with AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala along with council opposition leader B K Hariprasad, senior leaders K H Muniyappa, H K Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Basavaraj Rayareddy and others, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar trained their guns on Modi and declared that people of Karnataka will not be fooled by the frequent visits of the Prime Minister to the State when the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in the State was steeped in corruption leading to suicides by the affected people, while the government is busy issuing ‘’B’’ reports to ministers and party leaders accused of corruption and other scams.

The Congress leaders claimed that the first two firm guarantees, announced by the Congress party ahead of the assembly elections, offering 200 units of free power to all domestic households and Rs 2,000 each monthly cash payment to all housewifes to tide over the rigours of price rise making life difficult to the poor and middle classes has completely rattled Bommai and other BJP leaders into trashing the promises as ‘irresponsible’.

“We are aware of the difficulties of all families and especially the women, who bear the brunt of running households. While 200 units of free power under Grihajyoti is the first promise, the second is Rs 2,000 each monthly payment to women under Grihalaksmi,’’ they said and challenged the Chief Minister or any of the BJP leaders including Energy Minister Sunil Kumar and Revenue Minister Ashok for a public debate on how the promises can be implemented and the problems of the people.

The Congress leaders said the ruling BJP bragged about the benefits of double engine government and utterly failed to control rise in prices of essential commodities, could not implement the promise of doubling farmers income, creating 2 crore jobs every year or keep the promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh.

“We believe in delivering on our promises. The previous Congress government has proved it by impelementing its pre-poll promises while the BJP could not implement even 10% of its 600 pre-poll promises,’’ they said attacking the Bommai government for its newspaper advertisements on ‘Grihajyoti’ for women when it did not do anything during the three and half years of its rule.

Siddaramaiah said the poor, middle classes, women, downtrodden and Dalits have nothing to celebrate about Modi rule or BJP because the government at the Centre and in the State is least bothered about them. ``The ruling BJP is busy making people believe that they are in heaven even when they are suffering in hell due to rampant inflation and corruption. BJP is busy manufacturing lies through its Whatsapp University and publicising the same through the media run by Adanis and Ambanis. People should be cautious and refuse to believe the lies of BJP,’’ he said.

The country’s economy is in the pits with debts mounting. The debt burden was US $ 309.4 billion in 201e-14 when the value of the rupee was 58 against the dollar, which amounted to a debt burden of Rs 23.74 lakh crore. But as per RBI data, India’s foreign loan was US $ 619 inJune 2022 or Rs 50.76 lakh crore as the value of the rupee has plunged to 82 against dollar.

The total debt burden in March 2014 was Rs 53.11 lakh crore, which is now Rs 153 lakh crore. The Modi regime has plunged the States also in the debt burden with the total loans of states jumping to Rs 80 lakh crore from Rs 24.71 lakh crore, Siddaramaiah said,

The former Chief Minister said under Modi rule even curds,butter milk, lassi, wheat, honey, children’s pens and notebooks were taxed for the first time in the country with taxes ranging from 5 to 18%. While under Dr Manmohan Singh’s UPA rule corporate tax was 30% and Modi brought it down to 22%. Under Manmohan Singh people were subjected to Rs 27 as tax while capitalists were paying Rs 73. The Modi regime is collecting Rs 51 from the people while capitalists are paying Rs 49. The toll collections was Rs 5,245 crore during 2013-14 but under Modi it was Rs 40,000 crore during 2022. Even the railway platform ticket is not spared.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar said defeating BJP and throwing out the corrupt government is the only solution.

The Congress leaders visited the residence of senior party leader S R Patil and later said the party will treat him with respect.