Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy criticised the Congress government in Karnataka for its handling of recent rainfall that has led to widespread flooding and waterlogging in Bengaluru.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy likened the situation in Bengaluru to the Italian city of Venice.
He pointed out that many areas in the city were inundated, forcing residents to seek shelter in hotels, and noted that the floods had also resulted in crop destruction.
"The Congress government has turned Bengaluru city into the Italian city of Venice, where people have to travel in boats. The government has created the same situation here... Many areas of Bengaluru are completely waterlogged. People are living in hotels, and the crops that farmers have grown are destroyed. We had once seen efforts to turn Bengaluru into Singapore, but now they have made 'Brand Bengaluru' into Venice," Kumaraswamy said.
The Union Minister stated that two lives were lost due to the rain in Kengeri and questioned who was responsible for the situation. He also expressed his concern over the government only being focused on politics while citizens face significant challenges due to the rain.
"Two lives have been lost due to the rain. This tragedy occurred in Kengeri. Who is responsible for this disaster? The government is only worried about politics, while people are experiencing unbearable suffering," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Two lives have been lost due to the rain. This tragedy occurred in Kengeri. Who is responsible for this disaster? The government is only worried about politics, while people are experiencing unbearable suffering," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge acknowledged that it has always been an issue for a growing city with the recent flooding amid rains in Bengaluru but emphasised that the government is making efforts to improve the infrastructure.
He mentioned that ₹30,000 crore has been allocated for the city's development and that a committee has been formed under the Deputy Chief Minister to identify the civic amenities lacking in industrial and tech hubs.
"This is always a problem with a growing city and we have to improve our infrastructure and we are doing more than enough. When was the last time more than ₹30,000 crore was given for city development? The BJP did not even have a Bengaluru incharge minister; right now we have that... We have set up a committee under the leadership of the Deputy Chief Minister, where we are going to talk to all tech hubs and industrial parks to see what civic amenities are lacking. The brand Bengaluru was built by us and it will be sustained by us," he said.
Earlier, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert for heavy rainfall in the South Interior and coastal Karnataka from October 23 to October 26.