Corruption, unemployment are real ‘terrorism’ in Karnataka: Priyanka Gandhi

PTI, May 7, 2023, 5:40 PM IST

Mangaluru: Corruption, looting, price rise and unemployment are the real ”terrorism” in Karnataka today and the ruling BJP had failed to address the actual issues of people while the party was in power, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Sunday.

Addressing a huge public meeting at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district here, she said BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are always talking about extremism and national security when elections are round the corner.

”They are not talking about your (people’s) real issues. I want to tell the BJP leaders that price rise, unemployment and the 40 per cent corruption of the BJP government are the real extremism,” she said.

She said the BJP is making promises at the time of elections, but the people should cast their votes on the basis of what they have delivered in the last three years in Karnataka.

”While talking about dharma, national security and terrorism, the BJP leaders do not see that thousands of farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka under their rule. More than 1,000 unemployed youth have taken their own lives,” she charged.

The BJP government had looted Rs 6 lakh crore during their rule, she alleged. Medium and small industries in the state have suffered big losses after demonetisation and wrong implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and thousands of youth were rendered jobless.

The Union government had destroyed the idea of bank nationalisation by merging four public sector banks — Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank and Canara Bank — which where the pride of Mangaluru, she said.

Vadra said all the airports and sea ports in the country including the New Mangalore Port are being sold to crorepatis who are the friends of the BJP regime at the Centre, thereby denying employment to thousands of local people.

The BJP is now trying to destroy dairy cooperative Karnataka Milk Federation’s Nandini milk brand which has been serving the people of Karnataka by merging it with Amul that is based out of Gujarat, she charged.

”It is the terrorism of corruption ruling the country,” the Congress leader said.

Vadra alleged that as BJP is busy indulging in looting the nation’s wealth, they have no time to address the issues of women’s development, farmers problems, price rise and the unemployment among the youth.

”They don’t work for the people when they are in power and visit them during the elections by preaching on dharma, terrorism and security,” she said.

Vadra said all the people-friendly schemes of the previous Congress government in the state including low-cost food outlets Indira canteens will be restored. Every promise in the guarantee card given to the people will be fulfilled, she said.

For the Karnataka Assembly election, Congress has announced five ‘guarantees’ — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), and Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (Yuva Nidhi), along with promise of free travel for women in public transport buses — upon coming to power in the state.

Vadra said Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had implemented their promises made to farmers and pensioners in their respective poll manifestos.

The Congress will also introduce Rs 10 lakh insurance scheme for fishermen and Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan for fisherwomen as part of ‘Stand with Mogaveera’ scheme, she said, adding that the diesel subsidy for fisherfolk will be increased. Mogaveera is a major fishing community living predominantly in coastal Karnataka.

The opposition Congress is going all out to wrest power from the ruling BJP in the state with polling set to take place on May 10. The results will be declared on May 13.