Kanchipuram:
As Bengaluru grapples with unprecedented floods due to heavy rainfall, a political slugfest has begun between the Congress and the ruling BJP, blaming each other for the deteriorating condition of India’s Silicon Valley.
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar hit back at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for blaming the previous Congress government for the flood situation in Bengaluru and asked the latter to step down and let there be a President rule. He further said the Congress will come to power and solve the problem of waterlogging in the city.
Speaking to ANI after the prayer meeting at the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, Mr Shivakumar said, “Our motto is different. I don’t want to reply to BJP leaders. What has Congress done? He (Mr Bommai) has the government…let go of your power and let there be President’s rule. We will come to power and solve the problem (of waterlogging in Bengaluru). The Congress party will keep everything united.”
Earlier, tthe Chief Minister had blamed “maladministration” of the previous Congress government for the flood situation in Bengaluru.
“Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, has received unprecedented rains. Such rainfall has not been recorded in the last 90 years. All the tanks are full and they are overflowing,” Mr Bommai had told reporters. “This (waterlogging in Bengaluru) happened because of the maladministration and totally unplanned administration of the previous Congress government. They gave permission right, left, and centre in the lakes and buffer zone,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that there is a perception that the problem persists in entire Bengaluru, but that is not true.
“The problem is not there in entire Bengaluru. The problem is in two zones, particularly Mahadevapura. This is because there are 69 tanks in that small area and all are overflowing,” he said.
Bengaluru is reeling under severe waterlogging due to incessant heavy rains.