A video of Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai snatching a microphone from the hands of a seer when the latter was raising Bengaluru flood issue during a public event has gone viral on social media platforms.
During a religious event in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura on Thursday, seer Eshwaranandapuri Swami raised the issue of flooding and poor infrastructure in the constituency and blamed politicians for the trouble.
Swami and Bommai were on the stage along with other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
In the video, the seer is heard saying: “Bengaluru has been facing severe civic issues when it rains.”
“I do not know why authorities don’t get into action and solve them. Don’t they understand what the problem is when it rains? Many chief ministers said they will find a permanent solution…” the saffron-clad religious figure said.
At this point, the chief minister grabbed the microphone and said, “Let me clarify one thing. My officers are fixing all existing issues… working hard to erase civic problems. Am not like other CMs or leaders. When I say I will do something, I will do it at any cost.”
Karnataka will vote for a new government later this year when the ruling BJP bids to retain power in the only south Indian state where it is in power at this time. The civic menace in Bengaluru makes regular headlines thanks to rains, potholes and infrastructure-related accidents endangering the lives of residents. Two weeks ago, a Metro pillar collapsed on the city’s busy Outer Ring Road and killed a mother and her child.
In September last year, the city grappled with unprecedented floods after rain for three straight days, which set off a political tussle between the ruling BJP and the Congress. Parts of the city, where global IT companies and home-grown start-ups are located, were under water, which took days to recede. In nearby residential areas, roads were marooned and water and electricity lines snapped. Tractors were pressed into service to rescue residents in some of the posh housing colonies.
