Hubballi, Nov 6 (IANS): Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai slammed the Congress for "drowning in corruption" and said that soon, the latter would charge monthly commissions from primary and High School teachers.
Speaking to the media in Hubballi, Bommai said: "The Congress government in Karnataka was drowning in corruption."
"The Congress government has reached a stage where it is fixing monthly commissions from even primary and high school teachers," he claimed.
Bommai said in the past, baseless accusations were made against him without evidence.
"Now, there were allegations against the State Excise Department. The Finance Department is directly under the control of the Chief Minister and he must investigate how much commission is being taken for granting each license," the BJP leader said.
Responding to a question about Congress leaders' allegations that no development occurred in the Shiggaon Assembly constituency, represented by him, the former CM said that people have witnessed the development there.
"There is a big difference between the thoughts of Congress leaders and those of the people of Shiggaon. The Shiggaon constituency houses a 200-bed hospital at the taluk level, a textile park, an Ayurvedic college in Savanur, an ITI college, and more than 12,000 homes were constructed during flood situations. The roads in Shiggaon are better than those in Bengaluru. Perhaps the CM is dozing off while travelling in his car," he quipped.
He said: "Let the Congress ministers and legislators speak about their constituencies, such as Varuna and Chamundeshwari, represented by CM Siddaramaiah."
He claimed: "No funds have been released for developmental work since this government came to power. When I was the Chief Minister, I allocated Rs 10 crore for the development of dargahs and mosques of minorities, which they later revoked. What right do they have to talk about minority welfare?" Bommai questioned.
About the CM's statement that BJP leaders are making baseless allegations against him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Bommai pointed out that the High Court has ordered an investigation into the case.
"This is the first time a sitting CM is appearing for an investigation," he underlined.
Referring to the incident in Belagavi, where the government staffer wrote a death note against the personal secretary of Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, and ended his life, Bommai said an investigation should be conducted.
Government officials are frustrated due to political pressure, and similar pressure is increasing on government officials in Shiggaon, he said.