The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘BJP Government is functioning blindly’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 01, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

‘BJP Government is functioning blindly’

Correspondent

Congress against hiking power tariff: Deshpande

Law and order situation is going out of control, says Deshpande
‘Removing BJP from power is the only way to save democracy’

CHIKMAGALUR: R.V. Deshpande, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, said on Friday that lack of administrative experience by the BJP Government was the reason for most of the problems being faced by the State.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Deshpande said power shortage was not a new problem and existed during the Ramakrishna Hegde and S.M. Krishna regimes. The agriculture and industrial sectors had been adversely affected and reiterated that the Congress would oppose any move to increase power tariff.

Accusing the Government of functioning “blindly”, he sought to know how the Government was going to provide free electricity to farmers. The Government had indiscriminately utilised water in the dams during the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections to generate power.

Criticising Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning, Mr. Deshpande said the administration had collapsed and the law and order situation in the State was going out of control. Removing the BJP from power was the only way to save democracy. Describing as baseless the allegation made by Mr. Yeddyurappa that the State was receiving step-motherly treatment from the Centre, he said the UPA Government gave more funds to the State than the NDA Government.

With regard to the proposal to set up a thermal power plant at Hanakon village near Karwar, he said all norms had been violated while sanctioning the project. He expressed confidence that people of the State would teach the BJP a lesson for its “anti-people” policies.

‘Strengthen party’

Later, presiding over a meeting to nominate District Congress Committee president, Mr. Deshpande urged the party leaders to set aside their differences and take the workers into confidence to strengthen the party.

Stating that discipline was paramount for the development of any party, he said neglecting the party when it was out of power amounted to treachery. B.L. Shankar, former Chairman of the Legislative Council, said ideologies of a party would not count while contesting an election now. Divisive politics of the BJP and money power helped it to come to power.

Motamma, MLC, and former ministers C.R. Sageer Ahmed and Jayaprakash Hegde spoke. K.B. Mallikarjuna handed over the party flag to new president M.L. Murthy.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka