Breaking Devaraj Urs’ record is meaningless’: BJP chief Vijayendra launches scathing attack on CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday strongly criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for claiming to have broken the administrative record of former CM Devaraj Urs, asking what real contribution Siddaramaiah has made to the state. Vijayendra alleged that Siddaramaiah’s tenure has been defined by corruption, a series of scams, administrative failure and a sharp deterioration in law and order.

Addressing a press conference, Vijayendra said Siddaramaiah cannot be compared with Devaraj Urs under any circumstances. “Urs was the voice of the voiceless. He introduced several revolutionary laws and brought transformative social change. In contrast, Siddaramaiah’s so-called record consists of corruption, misgovernance and a collapse of the administrative system,” he alleged.

Vijayendra recalled that Devaraj Urs played a crucial role in reviving Indira Gandhi’s political career at a time when she was electorally weakened. “Despite this, the Congress party humiliated Urs and removed him from the chief minister’s post, not even allowing him to complete his second term. This is the Congress party’s history. Celebrating the breaking of Urs’ record today is nothing short of ridiculous,” he said.

He emphasised that the number of years one serves as chief minister is not important. “What truly matters is what has been delivered to the people of the state. Siddaramaiah’s years in office have not translated into meaningful development,” Vijayendra said.

Drawing a comparison between the two leaders, Vijayendra noted that Devaraj Urs was elected unopposed from the Hunsur constituency in 1962, reflecting massive public support. “Siddaramaiah, on the other hand, served as chief minister from 2013 to 2018 and then lost the 2018 election from Chamundeshwari constituency by a margin of over 50,000 votes, clearly showing the erosion of people’s trust,” he remarked.

The BJP leader further alleged that Siddaramaiah did not rise through mass movements or public struggles but became chief minister through political opportunism and favourable circumstances. He accused Siddaramaiah of being involved in the MUDA site allotment scam during his second tenure, which allegedly forced him to return 14 sites.

Vijayendra also accused the Congress government of diverting funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for use in the Telangana elections. He blamed the government’s “publicity obsession” for the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 innocent lives. He further alleged irregularities in the Kogilu housing layout, claiming that houses were allotted to illegal immigrants.

“The list of Siddaramaiah’s ‘achievements’ is indeed long,” Vijayendra said sarcastically, “but it is a list filled with scandals, failures and broken governance.”