Full page ads put out by the Karnataka government to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for budget clearance for Bengaluru Metro work have come under harsh criticism from the opposition in the state.
Karnataka is struggling with the impact of the second wave of the coronavirus with thousands of new cases being reported every day.
The Congress tweeted questioning the timing of this spending on advertisements when the state is battling the deadly second wave of virus and there was no money to honour Covid warriors. The tweet also mentions how the state government has also turned down the demand of workers in the state-run bus transport organisation for a hike in their salary citing shortage of funds.
The Congress said that there was no money for development work and amid Covid deaths, the government is spending a huge amount of money for "propaganda".
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, whose picture is there in the front-page advertisement, was today discharged from a private hospital in Bengaluru where he was being treated for COVID-19.
Attacking the government, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) sent out a video from the hospital where he is receiving treatment for Covid.
In the video, he said, "When I read the papers this morning, it caused me a lot of pain. Today, the state government has thanked the central government for the Metro budget clearance. This is not some alms that are being given to us. We are at the house of death now. The government is spending crores on these full-page ads. They are playing games with the public. I am saying with pain they still have not learnt anything. Was this a necessary move?" he said.
"This foolish government should search its conscience as to whether this expenditure was needed now. There are no beds, shortage of oxygen, no medicine. People are dying. In this situation - what is this message you are sending to the people of this country? They are playing games with people at death's door," Mr Kumaraswamy said.
Karnataka has seen a massive spike in cases with over 23,000 new cases reported from the state on Wednesday.
