Leaders criticise Prime Minister for remarks on Bengaluru

Manish Tewari, former Union Minister and Priyanka Chaturvedi, convener, Communications, AICC, on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insulting citizens of Bengaluru by calling the ‘garden city’ as ‘garbage city’, ‘sin city’, and ‘crime capital’.

Addressing the media here at the party office, they alleged that Mr Modi government has neglected cities in the State with their step-motherly treatment and BJP CM candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa was squarely responsible for denigrating Bengaluru’s infrastructure.

“It is not only an insult to the hard work and pride of the 1.2 crore Bengalureans, but a stark reminder that he can stoop to any level of rhetoric to earn cheap brownie political points.”

The BJP and the JD(S) in their stint at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had completely denigrated the urban infrastructure of the city, they alleged.

KPCC chief G. Parameshwara too termed the PM’s remark as an “insult” to the people of Bengaluru and Karnataka, especially when the World Economic Forum has hailed Bengaluru as “the most dynamic and most happening city in the world” and the city has been adjudged as one among the top cities in the world in job creation.

“Bengaluru and Karnataka contributes the maximum income tax and the IT sector was the highest revenue earner for the country. What is the sin that Bengaluru has committed to be insulted by no less a person than the Prime Minister as a sin city,” he said in a sharp comment on Mr Modi’s speech at an election rally in Kengeri on Thursday.

Dr. Parameshwara asked the Prime Minister not to shed crocodile tears over the plight of Dalits and pointed out that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and top leader M.G. Vaidya had publicly opposed the reservation for SC/STs.

He accused the BJP government for diluting the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act and demanded the NDA government to clarify its stand on the issue.

He ridiculed Mr Modi’s attempt to corner the Congress for denying the Chief Ministership to senior Congress leader M. Mallikarjuna Kharge.