Karnataka BJP Chief BY Vijayendra launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government, accusing them of "lying and cheating" instead of addressing the state's critical issues. Speaking at a press conference, Vijayendra questioned the long-standing leadership of Siddaramaiah, who has presented the state budget a record-breaking 16 times, and demanded that the CM provide solutions to the burning problems facing Karnataka, rather than continuing to offer excuses.
Vijayendra claimed that the Congress government, under Siddaramaiah’s leadership, had become synonymous with dishonesty, shifting blame to the previous BJP regime and the central government to evade responsibility for its own failures. He also criticized the government for failing to address the state’s worsening health system, which he claimed had been reduced to an “ICU” state due to systemic neglect. Doctors and ambulance staff, he said, were now protesting over unpaid salaries, and government hospitals were facing severe shortages of medicines, forcing patients to purchase medications from private pharmacies.
Vijayendra devoted much of his criticism to the Karnataka Health Department, highlighting the dire situation in government hospitals. He alleged that for the past two months, poor patients seeking care at these hospitals had been struggling due to a lack of medicines. The shortage of essential drugs and the suspension of Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which provide subsidized medicines, were further exacerbating the hardships faced by low-income citizens. Additionally, he claimed that the government owed Rs 143 crore to agencies providing CT scan and MRI services, disrupting diagnostic facilities that are crucial for the poor, including pregnant women.
Vijayendra also accused the state government of fostering corruption in the procurement of medicines, claiming that middlemen were given undue control over the tender process. He alleged that one individual from Mangaluru had gained excessive influence, driving up prices and creating an artificial scarcity of medicines. The BJP leader demanded that the Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao release details of the procurement process to the public to shed light on these irregularities.
Turning his focus to unemployment, Vijayendra criticized the Siddaramaiah government for its failure to fulfill the Congress manifesto’s promise of filling vacant government posts within a year. He pointed to repeated protests by young people across the state in cities like Bengaluru, Dharwad, and Vijayapura, calling out the government for taking two years to address their grievances. Despite the approval to fill over 40,000 vacancies, the recruitment process had failed to progress, leaving many young citizens in limbo.
Vijayendra reminded the public of the promise made by Rahul Gandhi during his campaign, where he had pledged to fill 2.5 lakh vacancies if the Congress came to power. However, more than two years into the Congress rule, little progress had been made in addressing the growing unemployment crisis. The BJP leader questioned why recruitment for 24,300 posts had not yet begun, despite approval from the Finance Department. He accused the Congress government of staging a “drama” only after protests over job vacancies had escalated.
Vijayendra’s remarks underscore growing frustration with the Siddaramaiah-led government’s handling of key issues in Karnataka, particularly the healthcare crisis and the unfulfilled promises regarding job creation. As the BJP continues to press the state government on these matters, the debate over accountability and governance in Karnataka is set to intensify.
