Siddaramaiah Targets Modi Government's Decisions As PM Visits Mangaluru

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Mangaluru on Friday, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah targeted certain decisions of the central government, and asked whether this trip of his will see "development or disaster".

In a series of tweets with "#AnswerMadiModi" (Answer Modi), the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly questioned the contribution of ruling BJP and Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha member Nalin Kumar Kateel to Mangaluru and the region.

"Welcome to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Mangaluru. Is this visit of yours a tour to see the development? Or to see the disaster? I request you to answer these in your speech today. #AnswerMadiModi," Siddaramaiah said.

Noting that South Kannada (Dakshina Kannada) entrepreneurs established Syndicate, Corporation, Vijaya, Canara and Karnataka banks, he said, "Mr Narendra Modi, you completely erased the names of the 3 banks. Is this development? Or disaster?" "Founder of Corporation bank - Haji Abdullah (1906), Founders of Syndicate Bank - TMA Pai, Upendra Pai, Vaman Kudva (1925) Founder of Vijaya bank - A B Shetty (1931) Is your decision to erase these names not an injustice towards these great entrepreneurs?" he tweeted.

PM Modi arrived in the coastal city on Friday afternoon to inaugurate and lay the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore, and later address a mega event.

Further highlighting that the New Mangaluru Port was the contribution of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who inaugurated it in 1975, and the outcome of efforts by MP U Srinivas, the former chief minister, Siddaramaiah accused the PM of selling the port rights to his "crony friend Adani".

"Is this your development? Or disaster?" he asked.

"Bajpe airport, NMPT, NH-66, Regional engineering college, MCF, etc are all the contributions of Congress, Siddaramaiah claimed as he asked "What is the contribution of Karnataka BJP and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.? Sinking Mangaluru? Igniting communal fires? Is this your development? Or disaster? #AnswerMadiModi," Siddaramaiah further said.