Bengaluru, 2 Nov

Karnataka Ministers on Saturday united in their criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments about Congress party not keeping the promises they made during the polls.

Karnataka Minister HK Patil described PM Modi's remarks as "irresponsible," questioning the Prime Minister's disregard for state governments and asserting that the Lok Sabha election results serve as a clear message. Kharge echoed these sentiments, labelling Modi as "ill-informed" and urging him to engage in a transparent dialogue about pressing economic issues. Both Patil and Kharge underlined Karnataka's growth amidst challenges and called for greater accountability from the central government.

Speaking to ANI, Patil said, "A person who is in a position of Prime Ministers is uttering such irresponsible comments. Never in the history of India's democracy has a PM taken state governments so lightly... Are we looting and giving to Adani like you all are doing? Are we looting and giving to Ambani like you all are doing? The last (Lok Sabha) election result is a slap on your face; can't you understand that?"

Meanwhile, BJP leader R Ashoka criticised Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's tweets and claimed that the Karnataka government for their alleged practice of collecting 10 per cent from developers before assigning work and over 50 per cent after completion, implying that this money is sent to Delhi.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge also expressed his thoughts on Modi's post on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier, Kharge tweeted, asking for a "real dialogue and open debate comparing Modiji Ki Guarantee versus Congress Ki Guarantee in front of the media." He underscored that he wanted an open press conference without selective media and addressed "real questions on the state of our economy." He remarked, "No more Mann Ki Baat--just one open press conference where you can address real questions."

Congress leader KC Venugopal also issued a rebuttal to Modi's criticisms of Congress-led governments. He defended Congress's record on welfare initiatives while questioning the Modi government's unfulfilled promises. Venugopal referred to Modi as "the uncrowned champion of puffery, misdirection, and unfulfilled promises". -PTI/ANI