BJP hits the streets to expose 'misgovernance' in city

BJP leaders on Friday hit the streets by launching the 'Save Bengaluru' padayatra, asking citizens whether they preferred "goondaraj" under the Congress rule or "good governance" under the BJP regime.

The foot march, which will criss-cross the city over the next 15 days, is essentially a public awareness campaign to highlight the "failures" of the state government in governing Bengaluru and "large-scale" corruption in city-related works. The BJP plans to cover two constituencies per day.

In the morning, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and H N Ananth Kumar led the foot march in various parts of the Basavanagudi constituency.  BJP workers, wearing saffron caps and holding flags and placards, also performed Dollu Kunitha (a drum dance accompanied by singing).  

At a street-corner meeting, Javadekar accused the Siddaramaiah government of turning Bengaluru into a "nightmare city". He said people were not even in a position to step out of their homes after evening hours. "Misgovernance and maladministration" by the Congress government have deprived the people of even the basic amenities such as roads, water supply and sewers.  Crores were spent on filling potholes but nothing happened on the ground.  He also accused the state government of "misusing" the grants released by the Centre for Bengaluru's development.

Kumar took potshots at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah throughout the padayatra. "Sidda bidda", "Nintale bidda" and "Kuthale nidde" were some of the phrases he used even as party  workers rolled onto the roads as if to enact his words.  "We do not want goondagiri. We want Modigiri," he declared.

In the evening, the BJP launched the Shanthinagar leg of the padayatra at UB City to "symbolically portray the goonda culture" of the Congress. It was at a pub in UB City that Congress MLA Haris's son, Mohammed Haris Nalapad, allegedly  assaulted a diner on February 17.  The padayatra passed through Kasturba Road, MG Road and Brigade Road.  

BJP govt made B'luru garbage city: Cong

The Congress hit back at the BJP, saying it was the latter's previous government that brought the dubious moniker of 'garbage city' to Bengaluru.  

Speaking to reporters,  Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the Congress party's conscience was clear and that the government had worked for people's welfare.

Bengaluru saw "large-scale irregularities" in implementing infrastructure projects during the BJP government. Tenders worth crores of rupees were cleared overnight and files were set afire when the BJP was in power in the BBMP, George said.

"The BJP does not have the moral right to talk about corruption. Its leader R Ashoka had illegally granted over 2,000 acres of government land in Bengaluru.  Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders Katta Subramanya Naidu and S N Krishnaiah Setty went to jail on corruption charges," Rao stated.

The Congress also released a 'Namma Bengaluru Hemme' document, listing the government's achievements in the past five years.