Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that people Karnataka are “eager to join other states in the country, which are far ahead in terms of development”.
In a series of tweets defending Karnataka’s figures in development indices including the GDP, fiscal deficit and farmer loans, Siddaramaiah said that the state prioritises empowerment and development of people over politics of rhetoric.
Prime Minister Modi made the claim at the end of his speech addressing party workers in Bengaluru on Sunday. “I am sure people here desperately want to join the long list of BJP-ruled states which have witnessed leap and bounds progress while Karnataka is crying for development despite having the highest resources,“ he was quoted as saying, in a report by Times of India.
However, Twitter users were quick to point out that the state ranked eighth in terms of per capita income, eighth on the Human Development Index, seventh in terms of urbanisation, sixth in terms of infrastructure published by Mint and fourth in the public affairs index.
We stand for politics that prioritizes empowerment & development of the people & not for politics of rhetoric, slogans & divisiveness. https://t.co/ICilXBnk3b
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 30, 2017
We don’t do slogans: we walk the talk. Food security for 4 crore persons, milk for 1 crore children, houses for 3 lakh families every year..
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 30, 2017
Loans to farmers at 0% interest, free farm ponds, 24 % of all development grants earmarked by law for SC/ST, stipends for 3 lakh students..
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 30, 2017
All this & more, yet recognized as fiscally prudent State with revenue surplus, debt at <20% of GDP, & fiscal deficit at <3%.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 30, 2017
Others including Nitin Pai, director of Takshashila Foundation, Rohin Dharmakumar, Co-founder of The Ken, also questioned the veracity of Modi’s statements.
Karnataka ranks among the top third of the states in most measures. Even higher if you exclude small states like Delhi & Goa.
— Nitin Pai (@acorn) October 29, 2017
According to PAC’s public affairs index, Karnataka ranks 4th among Indian states. Kerala is first. https://t.co/RD2iRqtHm2
— Nitin Pai (@acorn) October 29, 2017
Karnataka ranks above average on many measures. There should be a Karnataka Model of governance, says @pranaykotas https://t.co/Nq4PIE92bm
— Nitin Pai (@acorn) October 29, 2017
I’m all for the politics of improvement, but rather tired of people talking down to relatively better performing South Indian states.
— Nitin Pai (@acorn) October 30, 2017
I would like to see the data the prime minister is citing here https://t.co/lBE1wE3zoZ
— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) October 29, 2017
Indeed an interesting and curous claim given that Karnataka is one of the richest states in the Union with social indicators to match. https://t.co/UeeS8Ywr5D
— Vivek Dehejia (@vdehejia) October 29, 2017
Why is the PM talking about Karnataka as though we’re Bihar or UP? Karnataka outperforms most states on a range of development indicators. https://t.co/p2POvL1jHz
— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) October 29, 2017
Telling a developed state like Karnataka to look to other states for development tips is something a campaigning politician does, not a PM.
— Rohin Dharmakumar (@r0h1n) October 29, 2017
Are you mad? KA is one of the better developed states in India. 45% of KA women now have 10 years of schooling, as opposed to 33% in GJ. https://t.co/06sFq5gjYP
— Puram (@puram_politics) October 29, 2017
Sadanand Dhume, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, sarcastically applauded UP’s healthcare and said that people in Bengaluru were moving to Patna in droves
What rubbish! Everyone knows that Malayalis long for UP’s healthcare standards, and Bangaloreans move to Patna in droves for jobs.
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) October 30, 2017
Migration between states reveals people’s preference and according to research, Karnataka is one of the preferred destination for people migrating for education and employment.
There were those who pointed out that the PM was not wrong.
For example if u have lived in B'lore garbage disposal issue, power generation for entire state, road laying and that too low quality.
— Mahesh Vibhute (@MaheshVibhute1) October 29, 2017
North KA is not as developed as you think..Come and visit once.
— Vamshi (@VamshiKPL) October 29, 2017
With Karnataka’s state elections coming up in seven months, the war of words between political leaders in the state is only beginning to heat up. BJP appears to have resorted to the development card while campaigning for votes in Karnataka with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the way in claiming that the people of Karnataka are crying for development.
Last May, PM Modi had landed in a controversy, after he compared Kerala to Somalia. In an election rally he had said, "The situation with the child death ratio among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala is scarier than even Somalia. Recently, one came across a tragic picture in the media. In Peravoor, which is seen as a stronghold of the Communist party, where it has always won, there, Scheduled Tribe children were seen foraging for food in a garbage dump… it has appeared in the media.”