A religious figure in Karnataka – Eeshwaranandapuri Swami – called out the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday while sharing the stage with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. The video – in which Bommai grabs the microphone from Eeshwaranandapuri Swami as he speaks and rebuts comments about Bengaluru’s ‘severe civic issues’ – has been widely shared online.
Eeshwaranandapuri Swami and Bommai were on stage (as were other BJP leaders) at a religious event in the city’s Garudacharpalya area when, in a video tweeted by news agency ANI, the former said, “Bengaluru has been facing severe civic issues when it rains.”
“I do not know why authorities don’t get into action and solve them. Don’t they understand what the problem is when it rains? Many chief ministers said they will find a permanent solution…” the saffron-clad religious figure said.
At this point the chief minister grabbed the microphone and said, “Let me clarify one thing. My officers are fixing all existing issues… working hard to erase civic problems. Am not like other CMs or leaders. When I say I will do something, I will do it at any cost.”
Karnataka will vote for a new government later this year when the ruling BJP bids to retain power in the only south Indian state it controls at this time.
The civic menace in Bengaluru makes regular headlines thanks to rain-, potholes- and infrastructure-related accidents endangering the lives of residents. Two weeks ago a Metro pillar collapsed on the city’s busy Outer Ring Road and killed a mother and her child.
