‘Bengaluru was once known as Silicon City…’: Kumaraswamy’s jibe at Siddaramaiah over rain mess

BENGALURU: Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, has hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over waterlogging and traffic disruptions in Bengaluru and other parts of the state due to heavy rainfall, and accused the Congress government of failing to address the situation.

Attacking the state government over damage of crops and issues faced by people, the former CM said the Congress government is “not a pro-people government”. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kumaraswamy said, “This is not a pro-people government. As we are seeing many instances. In the last three days, we have seen rains in parts of Bengaluru and damages caused due to it. The crops are also being damaged in parts of the state but this government has not acted on it, neither has there been any reaction to the concerns of farmers.”

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: Union Minister and former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy says, “… After the heavy rain, several areas are underwater. But until now neither a minister nor their representatives have visited those areas. In several areas, people have vacated their… pic.twitter.com/iury2cZmYD

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“The CM has not even spoken about it. After the heavy rain, several areas are under water. But until now, neither a minister nor their representatives have visited those areas. In several areas, people have vacated their houses and are staying in hotels”, said Kumaraswamy.

He added, “This is not the first time. For the last three years, the same thing has been happening every rainy season. The government has been taking this very lightly. They are telling us to not spread this and spoil Karnataka’s name. What is the fate of Bengaluru?”

Taking a jibe at the Congress government, Kumaraswamy added, “Once upon a time, it was known as the Silicon City. The people of Bengaluru are the main GST payers and today, they are facing these kinds of problems every day”.

This comes amid widespread flooding in parts of Bengaluru city due to incessant rainfall, following which disaster response force personnel were deployed in the metropolitan city after the rain forecast. Bengaluru Metro’s Purple Line services were briefly disrupted on Wednesday morning after a tree fell on the tracks after the rains. The tree was removed and metro services were restored from 8.05 am, as per Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

The Karnataka government had earlier announced a holiday for all schools and colleges on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an ‘orange’ alert for the city, predicting heavy rains. The continuous rains threw normal life out of gear with waterlogging and traffic congestion in several parts of the city.

On Tuesday, Bengaluru’s civic authority announced that a flood management team is ready to assist residents at all times.The Yelahanka Zone experienced the heaviest rainfall in the city on Tuesday, with Chowdeswari Nagar recording 73.5 mm, while the Jakkur area received 65.5 mm.

As of Wednesday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said its disaster management team has addressed flooding issues in 102 homes. According to the BBMP, water flooded 142 residences, and 39 trees fell.The BBMP removed 26 of these fallen trees, while flooding was recorded in 52 areas throughout the city. (ANI)