Congress acted under DMK pressure to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Rahul ‘icon of hypocrisy’: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Congress government in Karnataka is characterised by misgovernance and corruption, the BJP alleged on Monday and accused the party of buckling under pressure from its ally DMK in releasing 10 TMC water to Tamil Nadu amid drought hitting large parts of the state.

Addressing a press conference, Union minister Rajiv Chandrasekhar also dubbed Rahul Gandhi an “icon of hypocrisy” over the Congress leader’s charge that China has encroached on Indian territory in Ladakh.

If there is a government in the history of India which has taken unwavering tough decision and unwavering view on the issue of national security and integrity, it is the BJP’s led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asserted.

One has to be Gandhi or one of his cronies to believe otherwise, he said.

“If there is any one in the country having strong relation with China, it is Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party. He goes to have dinner with the Chinese ambassador. He spreads fake news about our government,” the Union minister said

If anybody has to answer for appeasing forces inimical to India, it is Gandhi’s Congress, he said, asking him to stop creating narratives to detract from his “long illustrious” conduct with India.

Modi has maintained “absolute no compromise and zero tolerance” on national security, Chandrasekhar said.

The Congress believed in not developing borders with China and prioritised the purchase of VVIP choppers over fighter jet, he added.

Attacking the Congress government in Karnataka, he claimed that there is a history of the state dispensation holding all-party meeting and factoring in the prevailing situation before deciding on the releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

Over 50 farmers have ended their lives by suicide and drought-like situation prevails in 16 Karnataka districts, he said, questioning the decision to release water.

“The reason is they have released water due to their ‘ghamandia’ ally DMK. The Congress has done to save its coalition. The DMK has a track record of pressuring the Congress and the Congress has a history of responding to it,” he said, citing the alleged 2G scam during the UPA government.

The BJP has often mocked the opposition INDIA alliance as “ghamandia” (full of arrogance).

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy have not stepped out of Bengaluru to deal with farming issues, and their itinerary is restricted to “dealing with Delhi”, the Union minister said, and also charged the government with corruption.

The Congress government in Karnataka is characterised by misgovernance, no development and corruption, he charged.