Karnataka Ministers criticise PM for 'fake promises of Congress' jibe, call for open dialogue on economic issues

Bengaluru: Karnataka Ministers on Saturday united in their criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments about the Congress party not keeping the promises they made during the polls.
Karnataka Minister HK Patil described PM Modi's remarks as "irresponsible," questioning the Prime Minister's disregard for state governments and asserting that the Lok Sabha election results serve as a clear message. Kharge echoed these sentiments, labelling Modi as "ill-informed" and urging him to engage in a transparent dialogue about pressing economic issues. Both Patil and Kharge underlined Karnataka's growth amidst challenges and called for greater accountability from the central government.
Speaking to ANI, Patil said, "A person who is in a position of Prime Ministers is uttering such irresponsible comments. Never in the history of India's democracy has a PM taken state governments so lightly... Are we looting and giving to Adani like you all are doing? Are we looting and giving to Ambani like you all are doing? The last (Lok Sabha) election result is a slap on your face; can't you understand that?"
Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge also expressed his thoughts on Modi's post on X (formerly Twitter). He said, "I think the prime minister is ill-informed and doesn't take briefings from the finance minister but rather takes briefings from his social media team. I think he has forgotten that the National Statistical Estimates projected Karnataka's growth at 4 percent, which was revised to 13.1 percent. This was revised under the PM's watch. Despite giving guarantees and going through a severe drought, we've managed to grow exponentially."
Earlier, Kharge tweeted, asking for a "real dialogue and open debate comparing Modiji Ki Guarantee versus Congress Ki Guarantee in front of the media." He underscored that he wanted an open press conference without selective media and addressed "real questions on the state of our economy." He remarked, "No more Mann Ki Baat--just one open press conference where you can address real questions."
In his tweet, Kharge posed several critical questions to the Prime Minister, including various issues affecting the nation. He highlighted key promises that the government had made, questioning where BJP's promises like "2 crore jobs," "smart cities," and "doubling farmers' income" are.
He also pointed out that "for each rupee Karnataka receives from New Delhi, we (Karnataka) contribute 2.12 rupees to central taxes, but Uttar Pradesh contributes only 0.56 rupees to the national treasury for each rupee it receives."
Additionally, Kharge mentioned several Karnataka welfare schemes that have successfully delivered on their promises, including Gruhalakshmi, Gruhajyoti, Annabhagya, Shakti, and YuvaNidhi. He questioned Modi's government about their similar initiatives, asking, "BTW, isn't Ladli Behna a copy of Gruhalakshmi? When your party initiates such schemes, it's a 'masterstroke,' but if we do, it's labeled an 'economic disaster.'"
Kharge then claimed that "half of your @BJP4Karnataka MLAs are against your choice of Parivarvaad President," referring to the state's political challenges as the BJP struggles to regain its footing after recent elections.
"Doesn't the Finance Minister brief you? Maybe you should stop speaking and start listening," the Congress president's son added, underscoring the discontent with the central government's support for state initiatives.
The Karnataka ministers' response was a reply to PM Modi's recent thread of tweets, in which the Prime Minister accused the Congress of making empty promises during election campaigns. In his tweet, PM Modi claimed, "The Congress Party is realizing the hard way that making unreal promises is easy, but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign, they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver."
PM Modi cited issues in Congress-ruled states, mentioning that the "developmental trajectory and fiscal health is turning from bad to worse" in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. He alleged that Congress's unfulfilled promises were misleading the poor, youth, farmers, and women and that existing welfare schemes were being neglected. Modi urged the public to be vigilant against what he termed the "Congress-sponsored culture of fake promises" and cited Haryana's recent election results as evidence of people rejecting Congress.