‘Only Cong can put state back on track’

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Clearly eyeing the coming Assembly polls in the state, All India Congress Committee general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, made corruption in the ruling BJP the focus of his address at the Youth Congress convention held at the Nehru Maidan here on Saturday. Accusing BJP leaders of looting funds released under Central schemes for the state, he claimed they were providing the most corrupt governance in the country.

“Karnataka had pro-poor governments in the past which worked for people of all castes and communities, but the situation changed drastically after the BJP government came to power. Today the state has the most corrupt government in the country. It is therefore essential to remove it and only the Congress can do this,” he declared. Claiming that several development programmes of the UPA government, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) had failed to reach the poor in the state, he alleged the funds released by the Centre were being misused by BJP leaders in the state. Urging the young workers of the party to inform people about the corruption and infighting in the BJP, he said the Congress would return Karnataka to the path of development as it had vast experience in providing good governance.

“The future of Karnataka hinges on the youth power of the Congress. No one can suppress its voice,” he added. KPCC president, G Parameshwar, in his address, also targeted the BJP government in the state, accusing it of failing to keep its promises made in the 2008 election manifesto. "It has instead ruined the image of the state by looting it of thousands of crores. The flood-hit people of North Karnataka continue to live in temporary shelters although the Centre has allocated Rs 1,680 crore for their compensation and rehabilitation," he said.

While Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and former CM, B S Yeddyurappa fought over who should present the Budget, the state government failed to earmark Rs 1,000 crore for drought-hit farmers and also properly utilise the Rs 126 crore released by the Centre under the Natural Calamity Fund for the drought-hit regions, he charged.

Meanwhile several Akhil Bharathiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists were lathi-charged by the police when they tried to barge into the Youth Congress executive meeting, demanding the resignation of Union home minister, P Chidambaram over the 2G Spectrum scam.