BJP national spokesperson Pratyush Kanth
Credit: Screen grab/X@BJP4India
New Delhi: Alleging that corruption became institutionalised in Karnataka, the BJP on Friday said that Contractors Association and Chief Minister's Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy exposed the Congress-ruled government.
"To date, Karnataka had often been referred to as a factory or lab of corruption, but recent developments have confirmed to the people of the country that Karnataka has truly become the most corrupt state in India. Basavaraj Rayareddy, the economic advisor to the Chief Minister and also an MLA, has gone on record during a meeting and openly stated that Karnataka has become number one in corruption," BJP National Spokesperson Pratyush Kanth told media persons here.
"This statement has not come from the opposition but from those within the government itself. Even the Revenue Minister of Karnataka has gone on record to admit that there is significant corruption within his department," Kanth said.
Kanth criticized Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Khata-Khat’ model, claiming it has turned Karnataka into the most corrupt state. "This is deeply disturbing, as Karnataka represents Rahul Gandhi's so-called ‘Khata-Khat’ model—the very model he plans to replicate across the entire country, " he said.
Kanth stated that the Karnataka State Contractors Association revealed that “invisible hands” were causing delays in clearing contractors’ bills, with payments worth Rs 32,000 crores still pending. This pattern of interference has been perfected by the Congress party over the years, raising serious concerns. Which hand is responsible? Which palm needs to be greased to get payments cleared? Corruption in Karnataka has now been institutionalised—only large contractors are getting their bills passed, while small and medium contractors continue to suffer. These alarming issues have now come out in the open." he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned in Karnataka and he cautioned that if Congress came to power, the state would become an ‘ATM of corruption and loot.’
The statement of the Prime Minister was so prophetic that Karnataka has now earned the distinction of being one of the most corrupt states in the country, he said.