Fix accountability in corruption, demand Citizens

Umar Sharieef

Bengaluru: The recent remark of BJP leader and star campaigner K S Eshwarappa asking people not to worry about roads, sewage, and other development issues but to be more concerned about religion and culture during a sabha meet ahead of the election has attracted strong criticism from the citizens.

The residents association of Whitefield lashes out at the BJP for bringing communal issues. From IT companies to various other business establishments, Whitefield is one of the hotspots in Bengaluru for multiple reasons and is home to the absence of basic civic needs.

Over a couple of years, these residents have been in the headlines for expressing their grievances that have been in place due to civic apathy and other violations in the illegal constructions. People here say that the sitting MLA of the Mahadevapura constituency Aravind Limbavali has violated and used his power to act in favor of land mafias.

The allegation comes after the party denied him the ticket to contest again. However, his wife Manjula Aravind Limbavali gets the ticket. “He was never an approachable MLA and is still not. He had misused his power and didn’t do any good for the constituency on his terms. Now that his wife got the ticket which exposes the dynasty politics of the party”, said a resident.

The Aam Aadmi Party in Mahadevapura alleged the MLA for his silence over the encroachment of Pattandur Agrahara Lake. The party shared a recorded video of Congress MLA K J George directing the BBMP officials to build the road, encroaching on the lake, and asked whether the BJP is building a road for the Congress.

“There have not been street lights in Athashri Road in Whitefield. The residents of this street have been demanding tarring and street lights since 2015. A lot of civic issues including illegal constructions, bad roads, and sewage overflow takes place”, said Sandeep, an activist, and resident of Whitefield. They also alleged that residential projects are under place, violating the lake buffer zones which prohibit any kind of construction including a compound wall within a 30m lake buffer zone.

“Instead of trying to woo the voters with communal angle, the BJP must take the responsibility for their inability to stop the corruption and promise development”, residents said. MLA Aravind Limbavali was unavailable for comments.