R Ashoka (L), Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH Photos
The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation's (KSTDC) X (formerly Twitter) post promoting Wayanad as a scenic tourist destination has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP. Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, they called it "high command appeasement" to save chair.
The state tourism corporation's post on X on October 28, promoting its two-night and three-day tour package to the hill station said, "Seeking thrill or tranquillity? Find both in Wayanad! Trek scenic trails, chase waterfalls & meet the wild with KSTDC. Your perfect nature escape awaits."
Reacting to this, Leader of Opposition in Assembly and BJP leader, R Ashoka asked the Chief Minister how long will Karnataka tolerate a Chief Minister who behaves like "Wayanad's District Collector and fundraiser"?
"You (Siddaramaiah) signed off Rs 10 crore of Karnataka taxpayers' money to Wayanad at lightning speed. You gave away Rs 15 lakhs to the family of a man killed by an elephant. You announced to build 100 houses in Wayanad after landslide. You used KSTDC, Karnataka's own tourism corporation, to promote Wayanad tourism - Priyanka Gandhi's constituency," he posted on X on Thursday.
He further said farmers are suffering, homes washed away, 12.5 lakh hectares of crop damage, but compensation still stuck in files, surveys, excuses, speeches and photo-ops, pointing out that north Karnataka faced floods.
"Where is the compensation and flood relief for Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir, Bidar, Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Belagavi? Where is the urgency? What are your priorities?" he asserted.
He accused Siddaramaiah of moving money to another state faster than he moved money to his own disaster-hit farmers, the BJP leader claimed, "This is not charity. This is High command appeasement to save chair."
"Karnataka doesn't need a CM who bows to the Fake Gandhi Family, spends our treasury like it's High Command's ATM, and forgets his own state's farmers who put food on his table," he said.
"We elected a Chief Minister of Karnataka, not a Puppet of Delhi, not a Brand Ambassador of Wayanad," Ashoka said.
He said, "Stop looting Karnataka's money to please fake Gandhi family. Karnataka First. Not Wayanad First," urging the Chief Minister to release full compensation to farmers immediately.
Another BJP leader and former Minister C T Ravi said, the KSTDC, which is supposed to develop tourism in Karnataka, is inviting Kannadigas to Wayanad.
"Does Wayanad belong to Karnataka? Or has KSTDC become Kerala? The Congress government is going to pawn the honour of Kannada Nadu to please its party leader Priyanka Gandhi," he posted.
(with agencies inputs)