Modi in Mangaluru: Siddaramaiah takes to social media, questions PM on his visit

MANGALURU

Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether his visit to Mangaluru on September 2 was for “vikasa” (development) or “vinasha” (destruction).

In a series of tweets and through Facebook posts, the former chief minister of Karnataka said that he welcomed Mr. Modi to Mangaluru. However, Siddaramaiah appealed to the Prime Minister to answer certain questions during his address at his official programme in Mangaluru.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that senior entrepreneurs of Dakshina Kannada had founded five banks. They were Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Canara Bank and Karnataka Bank. Of them three banks (Syndicate, Corporation and Vijaya) have been “destroyed” (through their merger). “Is it development or destruction?” he asked.

The Congress leader said that Haji Abdullah had founded the Corporation Bank in 1906, TMA Pai, Upendra Pai and Vaman Kudva had established the Syndicate Bank in 1925 and A B Shetty was responsible for the birth of Vijaya Bank in 1931.

“Is it (merging the banks) not a betrayal done to their founders?,” he questioned.

He said that the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Member of Parliament from the Congress late U. Srinivas Mallya were responsible for the establishment of Mangaluru International Airport or the erstwhile Bajpe Airport on December 25, 1971. The present Union government led by Mr. Modi handed over the airport to the Adani Group on October 20, 2020. “Is it development or destruction?”

The former Chief Minister said that the present New Mangalore Port Authority or the erstwhile New Mangalore Port Trust was the gift of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi through the efforts of late Mr. Mallya. “Now Mr. Modi is selling it to his industrialist friend Adani phase by phase. Is it development or destruction?.”