Bengaluru: KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad on Sunday urged political workers not to switch to the BJP in pursuit of power and positions, saying the Congress may make its workers wait but would eventually recognise their contribution.
Speaking at an event at Bharat Jodo Hall where former MLA N.L. Narendrababu formally joined the Congress, Hariprasad said, “In the Congress, one receives a fitting position, even if it is delayed. I had to wait 53 years to become the KPCC president.”
Recalling Narendrababu’s political journey, Hariprasad said that during the 2001 municipal elections, Congress won nine of the 10 wards in Rajajinagar, while Narendrababu had emerged victorious as an independent candidate.
Hariprasad said he subsequently spoke to then chief minister S.M. Krishna, facilitated Narendrababu’s entry into the Congress and helped secure a party ticket for him. Narendrababu later went on to become an MLA.
Hariprasad alleged that backward classes, Dalits and other sections were being politically exploited within the BJP, while maintaining that Congress workers could expect opportunities based on their contribution, even if these took time.
Taking aim at the BJP-led government at the Centre, Hariprasad alleged that the education system had deteriorated since 2014. Referring to the NEET controversy, he alleged that question papers were being leaked and sold for money.
He credited successive Congress governments with laying the foundation for Bengaluru’s industrial growth, citing institutions and public sector establishments such as HAL and BEML, besides IIT.
Hariprasad also invoked the Constitution, saying it had enabled backward classes, Dalits, minorities and women to secure their rights. He stressed that the government has no religion and that the Constitution provides for equal respect for all faiths.
He alleged that ordinary youngsters were landing in jail amid communal disputes over issues such as halal and hijab, while questioning whether the children of political leaders faced similar consequences.
Hariprasad also highlighted the contribution of Congress governments to irrigation infrastructure and dams in Karnataka and urged voters to assess the BJP’s contribution to the state’s development.
