Bengaluru flooded but Congress celebrates: BJP slams anniversary event timing
While heavy rains left large parts of Bengaluru waterlogged and claimed three lives over the past 48 hours, the Congress government in Karnataka went ahead with its second anniversary celebrations in Hosapete. However, the public gathering, called Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesha, organised on Tuesday to mark two years of Congress government in the state drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).advertisementWhile the state capital reeled under infrastructure breakdown and flood-related chaos, top Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, welcomed party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi at Jindal Vijayanagara Airport on Tuesday morning. The anniversary celebration commenced in Hosapete amidst continuous heavy rainfall. While many participants were able to take shelter, several others were forced to find cover from rain elsewhere. The relentless downpour led to flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas, as well as traffic congestion at various points across Hosapete.Hosapete, the administrative headquarters of Vijayanagara – a relatively new district carved out of the larger Ballari – is a city located in the north-central part of Karnataka. It's roughly 330-350 km northwest of Bengaluru.
Back in Bengaluru, things were much grimmer with several localities including Sai Layout, Manyata Tech Park and Silk Board Junction being inundated following intermittent rain throughout the weekend and on Monday night. Residents complained of poor drainage, unmotorable roads, and delayed emergency response.advertisementAs news of waterlogging and flooding came in on Monday morning, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar visited the BBMP War Room (Integrated Command and Control Centre) for a briefing from civic commissioner Tushar Giri Nath during the day. Shivakumar visited some affected areas on Monday evening, but reportedly mostly interacted virtually with residents from the flood-hit zones, along with the chief minister.The BJP seized on this, calling the government's absence on the ground 'irresponsible' and its celebrations 'tone-deaf.'State BJP President BY Vijayendra said the situation in Bengaluru was dire and accused the Congress of misplaced priorities.'A few hours of rain have brought Bengaluru to its knees. People are suffering, three lives have been lost, and the government is busy celebrating its anniversary,' Vijayendra told India Today TV. 'The home minister G Parameshwara had the audacity to blame Bengalureans for the flooding — that's not what people expect from a responsible administration. This shows the arrogance of power.'He further accused the Congress of neglecting Bengaluru's infrastructure while only 'talking about tunnels and towers.''Bengaluru residents are among the highest taxpayers, but all they get in return are potholes and waterlogging. The government is not serious about the development of this city,' he added.advertisementFormer Deputy Chief Minister and current BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan also condemned the government's decision to go ahead with the function.'This is not just misplaced priority, it is utter insensitivity. The government is in celebration mode while the city is under water and people are losing their lives,' he said. 'The Congress has done nothing significant in terms of governance or infrastructure in the last two years. Their so-called guarantees are inconsistently delivered and not financially sustainable.'He went on to accuse the Congress of using taxpayer money for populist schemes without accountability, calling the administration a 'government of scams and slogans.''There have been no radical changes, no meaningful development. And now they are busy pleasing their high command while Bengalureans suffer. This government is not just irresponsible — it is indifferent,' Narayan said.The Congress, however, defended its decision to mark the occasion, citing its welfare-driven governance model.Party sources indicated that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were monitoring the flood situation remotely and that local officials were on the ground to manage relief operations.
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