CM slams BJP for claiming ‘false credit’ over Bengaluru-Mysuru highway

Mysuru: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of claiming false credit for major infrastructure works in Karnataka, particularly the ambitious Bengaluru–Mysuru National Highway project. Speaking at a Yuva Congress convention held in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah made a pointed remark targeting Mysuru–Kodagu MP Pratap Simha without naming him directly, stating that some people are now shamelessly trying to take credit for a project that he and his then PWD minister, H.C. Mahadevappa, were instrumental in bringing to reality.

“The Bengaluru–Mysuru highway was built because of me and Mahadevappa. Now, some people are roaming around trying to claim they did it. I won’t even name him,” Siddaramaiah said, indirectly referring to Pratap Simha who has often highlighted his role in getting the expressway completed. He further mocked the BJP, saying that the party which now boasts about development had no money to even clear bills when in power, and that the Congress government was the one that actually paid contractors to complete the work.

Siddaramaiah also broadened his attack by accusing the BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, of lacking any moral right to preach patriotism to the nation. He criticised RSS leaders for suggesting that terms like “socialist” and “secular” should be removed from the Constitution, questioning their contribution to the freedom struggle. “RSS people never participated in the freedom movement. How does BJP have the moral right to lecture us about patriotism? Are only BJP and RSS patriots? Prime Minister Modi keeps repeating ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ in big speeches, but his government’s actions show the opposite,” Siddaramaiah charged, striking a chord with the Congress youth gathered at the event.

He further challenged the BJP’s claim of inclusive politics, asking whether the ruling party could point to even a single Muslim MP elected on a BJP ticket. “Show me one Muslim MP from BJP. They don’t have a single one. And let’s not forget—Ambedkar was defeated in elections by Savarkar and communists, never by the Congress,” Siddaramaiah added, positioning his party as the true custodian of social justice and secular values.

The remarks come at a time when Karnataka’s Congress government is already locked in a war of words with the BJP over major development projects and credit claims. The Bengaluru–Mysuru highway, a crucial economic corridor, has become a political flashpoint, with both parties showcasing it as their achievement ahead of upcoming civic and parliamentary polls.

By reviving this issue on the Congress youth platform, Siddaramaiah appears keen to remind voters of his government’s role in funding and completing big-ticket infrastructure while portraying the BJP as opportunistic and divisive. His sharp words on the RSS and lack of Muslim representation in the BJP are also seen as a strategy to rally minority voters and progressive youth under the Congress fold as the state prepares for an intense political season.

With this renewed offensive, the former CM has once again positioned himself at the centre of the Congress’s ideological pushback, reaffirming his image as a strong critic of Hindutva politics and a champion of inclusive development in Karnataka.