BENGALURU: After the PayCM campaign, Congress is keeping up the pressure on the ruling BJP over the issue of potholes. With bad roads claiming another life in Bengaluru, and the total number of deaths rising to more than 12 in the past 24 months, state in-charge General Secretary Randeep Surjewala tweeted that the BJP government was to blame. The Karnataka Congress unit will take a final call on highlighting the pothole issue in Bengaluru on Saturday, at a senior leaders’ meeting.
Surjewala tweeted that the city’s potholed roads are death traps. “Though there are instances of death and injury caused by potholes, the government is in deep slumber. Bommai who pretends to be a common man should first realize what enormous difficulty the common man experiences because of potholes... Show the prowess that you have talked about, by getting the potholes filled up,’’ he challenged Chief Minister Bommai.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said the government is only interested in bribes and corruption, and not on development. “Bribes are more important to them than people’s lives. Although people are dying due to potholes, they are not giving importance to filling them up,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that this was the reason for the 40 percent corruption campaign. KPCC president D K Shivakumar slammed the government, and said they will be holding a senior leaders’ meeting on Saturday to finalise the Congress response to government apathy. KPCC working president Saleem Ahmad said Bengaluru is an international city, and if the government has any shame, it should fill up the potholes as soon as possible.