Govt needs image makeover: BJP

The B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka received yet another mild warning from Ravi Shankar Prasad, chief spokesperson of the party and Rajya Sabha MP. He felt the government’s image needs to be further improved in the state.

Talking to reporters, here on Thursday, Prasad admitted that the Yeddyurappa government needs an image makeover to overcome the controversies surrounding it.

Last week, it may be remembered, L K Advani, chairman of BJP Parliamentary Board, had publicly stated that he was not happy with the performance of the Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka. “Advani is the party’s top leader and nobody in the party would like to make a counter-statement against its seniormost leader,” Prasad said.

He said the government has done well in terms of its performance, particularly programmes announced in the budget, agriculture and information technology. “The work of the Karnataka government is very good in terms of its performance. The achievements need to be told to the country,” he said.

The BJP government in Karnataka has been found itself involved in many corruption scandals with many of them being linked directly to the chief minister and his immediate family members. Opposition parties in the state have repeatedly charged Yeddyurappa with corruption, favouritism and nepotism.

Prasad claimed that none of these charges were proved and even some of the so-called corruption cases were done at the behest of Governor H R Bhardwaj.

He said the party was proud of the performance of the Karnataka government and achieved the number one position in various categories.

When asked of the constant dissident activities within the Karnataka unit of the BJP, Prasad only remarked: “Our is a democratic party.”

The BJP will also begin a nationwide campaign against corruption in the UPA government at the Centre from June 23 to June 26.

Prasad claimed the UPA government was the most corrupt since Independence. On the agitations against corruption by social activist Anna Hazare and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and the Centre’s responses, Prasad said, “UPA government is most anti-democratic and does not tolerate peoples’ Satyagraha.”

He felt that UPA government is unlikely to take any action against corruption because they fear many of their own party’s leaders name may be exposed.