New Delhi: In a blistering assault on the Congress celebration, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state minister Zameer Ahmed Khan for travelling in a personal luxurious jet whereas their celebration spearheads a crowdfunding marketing campaign to help drought reduction within the state.
Amit Malviya’s Lead BJP’s Charge
Amit Malviya, accountable for BJP’s media cell, took to social media to slam the Karnataka Congress leaders. He accused them of having fun with “happy moments” aboard a personal jet whereas ostensibly searching for funds for drought reduction in Delhi. Malviya pointedly contrasted this alleged extravagance with the Congress’s crowdfunding efforts, emphasizing the obvious dissonance between their actions and their plea for public donations.
On the one hand, Congress is pretending to crowdfund and didn’t even serve samosas in I.N.D.I Alliance assembly, on the opposite, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Cabinet Minister for Housing, Waqf and Minority Affairs in Karnataka Govt, is flaunting his footage with CM Siddaramaiah in a personal… pic.twitter.com/SkrLB5OdjI
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 22, 2023
Viral Video Sparks Controversy
The controversy escalated when Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan himself posted a video showcasing the luxurious non-public jet journey with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The video, initially meant to seize “happy moments,” turned a focus for criticism.
BJP Leaders Criticise Siddaramaiah
Prominent BJP leaders, together with CT Ravi and Shehzad Poonawalla, joined the criticism. Ravi questioned the federal government’s priorities, highlighting the shortage of funds for drought-affected farmers juxtaposed with the supply of assets for the chief minister’s luxurious journey. Poonawalla accused the Congress of utilizing Karnataka as an “ATM,” referring to the ruling celebration’s alleged sample of fiscal imprudence in states the place it’s in energy.
Poonawalla mentioned, “The deputy chief minister of Karnataka tells his party MLAs and people that there is no money left for development because all the money has been splurged on the so-called promises made by the Congress party which they are unable to fulfill… We see the ministers of the Karnataka government doing photo shoots and splurging in VVIP planes and jet planes at the cost of taxpayer money along with the chief minister asking for funds for drought relief. Congress’s mindset is to use any state it gets power in as an ATM. They did that in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Now it has turned to Karnataka and Telangana.”
#WATCH | On a video of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and state minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan travelling on a chartered flight, BJP chief Shehzad Poonawalla says, “The deputy chief minister of Karnataka tells his personal MLAs and folks that there isn’t any cash left for improvement… pic.twitter.com/oSC6D8gWXL
— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023
Congress Counters BJP’s Claims
Responding to a query on the viral video, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah mentioned, “Ask BJP people what Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels in.”
Bengaluru: Responding to a query on the video of himself and Karnataka minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan travelling on a chartered flight, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says, “Ask BJP people in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels in.” pic.twitter.com/3TvdXsSUZC
— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023
Replying to the BJP’s allegations, Congress leaders, notably Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil, recalled situations of leaders from the ruling celebration, together with Prime Minister Modi, using costly plane throughout their tenures.
#WATCH | On Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Congress Leader BZ Zameer Ahmad Khan travelling in a chartered airplane, Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil says, “When PM Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he travelled within the costliest plane introduced in particularly for him… https://t.co/SbLyvYmGoT pic.twitter.com/qd0CcdKRRX
— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023
‘Donate For Desh’ Campaign Amidst Criticism
The BJP’s accusations come at a time when the Congress is actively selling its ‘Donate for Desh’ crowdfunding marketing campaign, geared toward gathering public donations to assist the celebration’s initiatives. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge defended the marketing campaign, drawing parallels with Mahatma Gandhi’s reliance on public contributions throughout the freedom battle.
In this tumultuous political local weather, the BJP’s allegations underscore a perceived incongruity between the Congress’s plea for public donations and the leaders’ alleged indulgence in luxurious journey, including gasoline to the continuing political discourse in Karnataka.
