Karnataka elections: PM hits out at BJP over corruption

Bangalore/Hubli: In an allround attack on the BJP Government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday accused it of "misgovernance" and "corruption" and said the minorities were feeling insecure under its rule.

Addressing election meetings at Hubli and on Bangalore outskirts for the May five Assembly polls, he said Karnataka had been "slipping" behind others in the last five years as "good governance" and "dymanic leadership" were missing. Singh said seven years ago when the Congress was in power, Karnataka was a model for development and progressive policies and "every day, we used to hear success stories." But, in the last five years of the BJP rule, "things have changed completely and for the worse," he said, adding, "Today, Karnataka is in the news for misgovernance, neglect of developmental works and corruption." He said the pace of progress had greatly slowed down, there was shortage of electricity and drinking water in some parts and the law and order situation was not satisfactory. "..In the last five years, BJP government changed three Chief Ministers and a number of ministers have had to quit because of charge of corruption. Many in high places are also facing inquiry into allegations of corruption," Singh said. "I am particularly pained by the fact that areas with high concentration of minorities have been completely neglected as far as developmental works are concerned," he said, citing the districts of Raichur, Gulbarga, Bellary and Bidar. Singh also spoke of the "erosion of social harmony" and "feeling of insecurity" among the minorities under the BJP rule, as he undertook a day-long campaign following Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi who last week sought to give a thrust to the Congress poll campign. PTI