From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 22: The Congress party’s “Khali Chombu” (meaning empty pot and slang for hollowness) full page advertisement about the zero contribution of BJP and Narendra Modi rule have opened the eyes of the opposition leaders about the injustice done to Karnataka by the Centre in devolution of funds and stalling of Central approvals, claimed KPCC Chief and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday.

Speaking to media persons near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said the Khali Chombu advertisement is a reminder of the zero contribution of Modi rule and is completely true. “There is no exaggeration and the people are wise to understand even though it may annoy BJP and its new partner JDS,” he said.

However, Shivakumar said JDS leaders H D Kumaraswamy and his father H D Deve Gowda have been speaking about the injustice done to Karnataka by BJP and the Centre and now suddenly they find Modi rule is like “Akshayapattra” after aligning with BJP forgetting the party’s secular label.

“Let the BJP and JDS leaders first answer if anybody has received Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts or 2 crore jobs have been created every year and the income of farmers has been doubled,” he said and asserted that they can criticise only if they believe and want the people to believe that Modi has been a “akshayapatra” to Karnataka.

The KPCC chief said the Congress party’s is not bothered about the negative publicity and criticism by BJP and JDS against the Congress government. “We have looked after the welfare of all sections of people irrespective of their caste, creed and political beliefs and have never betrayed any section. We have empowered women and the poor. The Congress government’s guarantees have benefited over 4.5 crore out of the 6 crore people of Karnataka,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister rejected the BJP-JDS attacks on the so called appeasement politics favouring Muslims and asserted that Congress party believes in protection and welfare of all sections of society. “We abide by the Constitution and strive to protect it and not scrap it as BJP an RSS are publicly declaring,” he said.

Shivakumar said the law and order situation is quite good in the State and asked the people and partymen to ignore the negative and motivated propaganda of BJP and JDS. “The double-engine government failed in Karnataka and now the big engine in Delhi will fail. The INDIA block will be victorious,” he declared.

BJP MLC KP Nanjundi meets Kharge

In a shot in the arm for the ruling Congress party, the BJP MLC K P Nanjundi called on AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge at his residence on Monday.

KPCC Chief Shivakumar accompanied Nanjundi during the meeting with Kharge.

“It was a courtesy call. We discussed many things,” said Shivakumar refusing to divulge details.