BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka slammed the State government over the circulation of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty’s declaration refusing to participate in the Socio-Economic Survey in the public domain.
He further demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take action against the officials responsible for it.
He said the government had given a written assurance before the High Court that citizens’ data collected in the survey would remain confidential.
“Will you take action against the officials responsible for this breach of privacy?’’ Ashoka questioned.
He said the Congress leaders calling the Murthys traitors for not taking part in the survey was authoritarianism at its worst.
He said the Karnataka High Court had said that participation in the survey was not mandatory and all information given by citizens during the survey must remain confidential.
“Despite the directives from the High Court, the State government has chosen to defy the judiciary, committing what contempt of court,” he said.
Ashoka asked on what grounds senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad has dubbed non-participants in the survey traitors.
Ashoka defended Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and other industrialists who have raised poor civic and infrastructure issues. Instead of fixing it, the Congress leaders have insulted them by asking them to use Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to fill potholes. They also asked the industrialists to show their accounts of the CSR spending, he said.
“This is not governance. This is bullying, contempt, and a political vendetta against those who have built Karnataka’s pride,’’ the BJP leader added.