Cong kicks off city campaign, targets BJP with charge sheet

The ruling Congress on Wednesday kick-started its 'Namma Bengaluru, Namma Hemme' (Our Bengaluru, Our Pride) padayatra as a counter to the BJP's recently concluded 'Bengaluru Rakshisi' (Save Bengaluru) foot march.

While the saffron party's padayatra was to highlight the Congress' misrule in Bengaluru, the Congress foot march aims to extol its contributions to the city and showcase corruption that prevailed in the civic administration when the BJP was in power. The Congress chose to launch its campaign in the KR Puram Assembly constituency, represented by Byrathi Basavaraj who is known to be Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's close aide.

"If Bengaluru has seen development, it is because of Siddaramaiah. All that the BJP did was to come to power through the backdoor and loot money," Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said.

Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy accused the BJP leaders of not visiting the city's slums when heavy rainfall wreaked havoc. "Those who enjoy staying in resorts from money through illegal mining... how will they remember slum dwellers?" Reddy said.

The Congress also released a 10-point charge sheet against the BJP, listing the "scams" that took place when the saffron party was in power. These include: floating tenders for Rs 3,400 crore worth of works in the middle of the night, raising bogus bills, illegal khatas, spending Rs 2 lakh to catch 20 rats, misuse of beggars' cess among others.

Hundreds of Congress workers took out the padayatra and even burst crackers along the way. A female motorist was caught off guard when a cracker went off. Fazed, she deserted her bike and ran away only to return after she was sure no more crackers were going off.

DH News Service