MANGALURU: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi on Thursday criticised the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi over Siddaramaiah's resignation as the chief minister of Karnataka and said that how a prominent leader is being treated is not right.
Responding to a media query during his visit to Mangaluru for an event, Joshi said, "Out of the four states where Congress is in power, three states have chief ministers belonging to the upper caste. Congress leaders wake up in the morning every day and chant the 'OBC Mantra,' and now we are observing how the only remaining OBC chief minister Siddaramaiah, is being treated. In the past Rajiv Gandhi had similarly treated Veerendra Patil, and now his son Rahul Gandhi is treating Siddaramaiah in the same manner. Hope this instability in the Congress ends soon," he said.
Joshi further said that when Congress is in power, anarchy is guaranteed.
"In the last three years of Congress governance, we have been witnessing instability, lawlessness, and a confused state of affairs. It is their internal politics. Even if D K Shivakumar becomes the next CM, it is fine. I cannot predict what will happen after Siddaramaiah's resignation. Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah are mass leaders. It is not right how Rahul Gandhi is treating a prominent leader like Siddaramaiah.
"That does not mean Siddaramaiah ably, honestly governed the state. He too was indulged in corruption, scams, and appeasement politics. There is only corruption and appeasement in the state, and it will continue even during DK(Shivakumar) or anybody else's tenure. Because that is the patent of the Congress," he lashed out.
Asked if the BJP will benefit from the current developments, Joshi said they do not wish to benefit from such failures. Instead, under Narendra Modi's leadership, BJP will be strengthened in the two years and fight the next elections.
To a query on the union government increasing fuel prices, Joshi said, "When compared to global prices, the three-time hike in petrol is not more than 6%. Whereas in other countries, prices are hiked by 60% to 80%. This kind of global crisis for fossil fuels has not happened in the past. Congress should not try to take political advantage during this crisis. This fuel price hike is to balance the surging global crude oil prices," he said.