'Pulwama attack shows failure of Central govt'

KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre held intelligence failure responsible for the Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters at the District Congress Committee office in the city on Monday, he accused the Central government led by Narendra Modi has been encashing upon the Pulwama attack to woo voters.

Khandre further said that the people are disillusioned by BJP as the Central government has failed to fulfil its promises made in its election manifesto. “Employment rate has hit its all-time low. The economy has not been developing. Farmers’ income has not doubled. The terrorism is not curbed,” he added.

Coming down heavily on the Central government, the KPCC working president said that the government has no moral right to seek votes from farmers.

Further, questioning the relevance of making a replacement of 13 private insurance companies in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Khandre pointed out that the insurance companies include those owned by Adani and Reliance. “This shows that the agreement between the government and the insurance companies is a part of the plan to favour corporate companies,” he added.

Eshwar, who is also an MLA from Bidar, said that, in his own constituency, Rs 186 crore has been collected from farmers as premium towards the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, But, only Rs 96 lakh has been settled for crop insurance, he stated.

Khandre accused the BJP of constantly trying to destabilise the coalition government in the state through ‘Operation Kamala’.

Reacting to a query, he said, “The poor performance of Congress in coastal region during the previous Assembly election was due to malicious propaganda and polarisation of votes by communal forces. But, the Congress will sweep the polls in the Parliamentary elections.”

In reply to the remark by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Dalit chief minister, Khandre said that Parameshwara has adored the top posts of the president of the KPCC and is now the deputy chief minister of the state, which makes the prominence of Dalits in the party evident. The Congress, however, is a party with internal democracy and the leaders are free to express their views, he added.

To a question on whether the KPCC favours the candidature of former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary from the Congress in the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, he said that the same will be decided by the party high command.

MLC and District Congress Committee president Harish Kumar, former MLA J R Lobo, leaders G A Bava, Vishwas Kumar Das and Surendra Kambli were present in the press meet.