Bengaluru: With the pictures of Karnataka BJP leaders welcoming and waving at Prime Minister Narendra Modi from behind barricade during his visit to ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru going viral, state Congress leaders termed it as slavery.
Former JD (S) MLC Ramesh Babu said that BJP leaders were made to stand like “street dogs” during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to ISRO.
Karnataka BJP unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA Muniratna, former ministers and MLAs R. Ashoka, K. Gopalaiah, N. Muniratna, and others were seen in a picture waving at the Prime Minister when he crossed through route to reach the ISRO..
Karnataka Congress said, “BJP’s state President, sitting MLAs and former ministers are made to stand on the streets. They are first victims of dictatorship… Doesn’t this also mean that the BJP leaders who are waving at PM Modi without self-esteem and self-respect have reached the heights of slavery.”
Sources said that Prime Minister Modi is still upset with the party’s debacle in the state assembly elections and does not want to meet any of the leaders.
None was allowed to welcome him at the HAL airport in Bengaluru, the sources added.
Ashoka had announced before the media that Prime Minister Modi would participate in a mega roadshow after his arrival in Bengaluru. However, the Prime Minister cancelled the roadshow to the much chagrin of state leadership. The party high command is not entertaining the demands of state leaders to appoint the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly.
Ashoka slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar had not gone to welcome the Prime Minister.
Responding to Ashoka, Shivakumar said with the former minister’s statement, it is evident that the Prime Minister’s office and Central government care a damn about him.
He challenged Ashok to get information from the PMO and then react.
“We did not go to receive as per the message from the PMO,” Shivakumar said.
