Krishna slams BJP govt for 'denting' B'lore's global image

He referred to views he shared with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who, he said, had stated that "with the whole world looking at India through the prism of Bangalore, if there is political instability in Karnataka, it will have crippling impact on the whole country".

"If any other Chief Minister was there, he would have taken note of it, but here is a person without any foresight", Krishna said in a reference to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

The criticism comes close on the heels of Krishna shooting out a letter to Yeddyurappa for his "baseless allegations" on denotification of land during his (Krishna) regime, terming it as "character assassination".

Taking a swipe at the BJP government, he said though the government has "totally failed to provide good governance, it has excellent expertise in throwing barbs at the opposition with chinks in its own armour".

"People sometimes lose all sense of self-pride", the union minister said sarcastically.

Recalling discouragement and criticism he faced from the opposition when he ushered in the IT revolution in Bangalore in 1999, Krishna said "these people at that time were pooh-poohing my desire to make Bangalore another Singapore, but my question is what is wrong with aspiring to raise ourselves to higher level, if you do not have this desire you can never progress".