BENGALURU: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday slammed Prime Minister for spending "most of his time" travelling abroad to shake hands with heads of foreign nations while the country's financial situation has been 'deteriorating'.
Addressing an election rally in Yashwanthapura assembly constituency seeking votes for party candidate T N Javarayi Gowda, he said, "Give a thought to the prevailing situation in India. The country's situation is worsening. There is a financial anarchy in the nation."
"Youth don't have jobs and the garment industries where girls were getting jobs are closing down," the former chief minister said.
Yashwanthapura is among the 15 assembly segments going to vote on December 5.
Disqualified MLA S T Somashekhar is contesting from the constituency on BJP ticket.
Somashekhar was previously with the Congress but had resigned from the assembly along with 15 others, which led to the collapse of coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy.
The subsequent disqualification of 17 MLAs by the then speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on charges of 'anti-party' activities helped install the BJP government.
The former chief minister alleged, "While youth don't have jobs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes to India like a visitor.
He spends most of this time travelling to the foreign countries and shaking hands with the heads of those nations.
He is running the nation from there (foreign country)."
Kumaraswamy also sought to know the purpose behind demonetising the currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination.
"Why did he (Modi) demonetise Rs 1,000 note and introduced Rs 2,000? Was that to assist the cronies to hoard more black money or to do some good to the nation?" he questioned.
The JD(S) leader wondered why people still vote for the BJP when the Prime Minister did not even visit the flood affected areas.
"The Prime Minister never visited those places to tell the victims that he is with them in their difficult time and consoled them to face the situation courageously.
Yet people vote for them believing that he will do something," Kumaraswamy said.
Listing the various pro people welfare schemes launched by him when he was chief minister for 14 months till July 25 this year, Kumaraswamy alleged the BJP government has stopped them.
Instead of assisting the poor people, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's priority has now been to protect the interest of the 15 disqualified MLAs whose resignation brought him to power, he alleged.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com