Bengaluru rains claim woman's life in wall collapse; Opposition attacks Congress saying ‘from greater Bengaluru to submerged Bengaluru'

Time of India

19-05-2025

A 35-year-old woman was tragically killed on Monday after a wall collapsed during heavy rains in Bengaluru. The incident has sparked a fresh political debate, with the opposition BJP criticising the Congress government over the city's poor infrastructure.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the problems Bengaluru faces during the monsoon are not new. However, he assured that the government is now working on long-term solutions to fix them.
The city received around 104 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. This caused flooding in many low-lying areas and led to severe traffic jams. In response, the BJP launched a strong attack on the ruling party.
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CN Ashwath Narayan, former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA of Malleswaram, criticised Shivakumar on social media. He said, "Crores spent. Zero results." He added, "Last night's rains didn't expose Bengaluru's infrastructure, they exposed @DKShivakumar's track record of the last two years of doing nothing."
Sunil Kumar Karkala, Karnataka BJP General Secretary and MLA of Karkala, challenged the government to publish a white paper showing how much money has actually been spent on Bengaluru's infrastructure in the past two years. He also urged people to visit the Silk Board junction to see the real state of affairs.
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At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Ashwath Narayan Gowda accused the government of ignoring warnings about heavy rain. He said, "Despite the weatherman predicting heavy rainfall almost a week ago, there were no efforts made to prepare for the monsoon." He held Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar responsible for the chaos in the city.
Gowda also criticised the government's slogans, saying, "From Brand Bengaluru to Greater Bengaluru, and now from Greater Bengaluru, it has now become Submerged Bengaluru. This is the achievement of the state government."
He added that no major development work has been done in Bengaluru over the last two years, leading to the recent problems during the rains. "Bengaluru pays the maximum taxes in Karnataka, but the investment needed for basic infrastructure is missing," Gowda said.
In response, Shivakumar said he has been in constant contact with officials and is closely monitoring the situation. On social media, he expressed his concern about the damage caused by the relentless rains.
He wrote, "I've been in continuous touch with the concerned officers, and I'm closely monitoring the situation. As always, I remain committed to Bengaluru, working round the clock to address challenges and ensure relief. I will be visiting the BBMP War Room and flood-affected areas personally to take stock on the ground."
Shivakumar also acknowledged that the city's problems are long-standing. "Let us be clear: the issues we face today are not new. They have been ignored for years, across governments and administrations. The only difference now is, we are working to solve them. Not with temporary fixes, but with long-term, sustainable solutions," he said.
He ended by assuring citizens of his support: "To my fellow Bengalureans, I am one among you. I understand your concerns, I share your frustration, and I assure you of my commitment to resolving them. I stand with you."
Inputs from PTI