Cong launches campaign against BJP in Karnataka

Bangalore: The Congress on Sunday launched the "throw out BJP, save Karnataka" campaign with a large rally here with its leaders charging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with unprecedented corruption and misrule in the state.

Foreign Minister and former state chief minister SM Krishna, credited with turning Bangalore into India's IT hub, was sarcastic in his address to the rally.

"The focus of this government has become 'denotification' of lands," he said, referring to land scandals involving the BJP's first Chief Minister in south India BSYeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa has been accused of favouring his close kin with prime lands and 'denotifing' large tracts that were then bought at hugely less than market by people who invested money in his sons' business ventures.

Five complaints have been filed against Yeddyurappa in a Bangalore court after Governor HR Bhardwaj gave his statutory sanction for his prosecution for land allotment and 'denotification'.

Krishna said the BJP government had "completely neglected people's welfare and also destroyed the image of Bangalore".

Krishna was chief minister during 1999-2004 when 'brand Bangalore' became known worldwide as Karnataka capital became home to Information Technology (IT) and Biotechnology (BT) bellwether companies.

Sunday's rally was also addressed by union Labour Minister M Mallikharjun Kharge, state Congress president G.Parameshwara, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah and Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa.

Kharge attacked Yeddyurappa for not quitting on moral grounds even after the governor sanctioned his prosecution and complaints were filed against him in a local court.

He regretted that senior BJP leaders like Nitin Gadkari, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were supporting Yeddyurappa in spite of serious charges against him.

Siddaramaiah said since the BJP came to power in the state in May 2008, over Rs 100,000 crore have been looted by it.

Parameshwara said the Congress campaign against Yeddyurappa would not stop till he quits.