BJP slams Karnataka government over Bengaluru building collapse tragedy

New Delhi [India], October 23 : BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Wednesday criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government following the tragic collapse of an under-construction building in Bengaluru, which resulted in the loss of lives.
Bhandari said, "It is unfortunate that the corrupt Karnataka government did not know that unauthorised building construction was taking place in Bengaluru. The Karnataka government of the Congress party, which is neck deep in corruption, has caused a bad name to Silicon Valley. It is unfortunate that the only focus of the Karnataka government, including Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar, and Kharge, is to loot the land of the poor, rather than to take care of the common man."
"Bengaluru has never seen such apathetic misgovernance as it is experiencing now. This has led to the loss of common lives, of innocent lives. This is not merely an accident. This is akin to murder, and the state is accountable for it. The Karnataka Congress government needs to answer for that," he added.
He questioned how such unauthorised construction could occur in the heart of the city without government awareness, especially after the loss of three lives. "If the Karnataka government is so cognizant of looting the land of the poor, how is it possible that an unauthorised construction came up in the heart of the city?" he said.
Further, Bhandari stated, "Silicon Valley (Bengaluru), at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, was known for good governance. Unfortunately, the Congress leaders are only focused on filling their coffers."
He urged the government to take responsibility and said, "The buck stops with the chief minister of Karnataka," calling for accountability from leaders like Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar regarding the ongoing issues in the city.
Earlier in the day, five bodies had been recovered, and five people were found injured after an under-construction building collapsed in the Horamavu Agara area of eastern Bengaluru amid heavy rain, said Bengaluru police sources.
According to Satish Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Bengaluru, the bodies have been identified as Harman (26), Tripal (35), Mohd Sahil (19), Sathya Raju (25), and Shankar.
The injured individuals have been identified as Jagadevi (45), Rasheed (28), Nagaraju (25), Ramesh Kumar (28), Harman (22), and Ayaj. Five injured individuals are being treated at Bengaluru North Hospital, while one is at Hosmat Hospital. A total of seven other people were rescued, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to 13.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with dog squads, have been deployed at the site as the search continues for people trapped under the rubble.