People should rise against sale of PSU assets: Kharge

Team Udayavani, Sep 11, 2021, 6:10 PM IST

Mangaluru: People should raise their voice against the BJP government’s move to sell the prime assets of the country, Opposition Leader in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday.

Addressing reporters here, he said the government at the Centre has started selling one after another the numerous public sector units built by Congress governments over the years.

While the BJP always alleges that the Congress did nothing for the country in 70 years, they are selling the assets created by the Congress governments while at the Centre, he said.

Kharge criticised the Centre’s steps also to change the names of the places and schemes, which were given by previous governments. “We have done our work and named them after the leaders who made them possible. So, you should do your work and earn the name,” he told the ruling BJP.

The number of job opportunities in the railways has fallen to 12 lakh from 16 lakh during the BJP rule. The jobs in the telecom sector have also come down. The government can consider privatising loss-making enterprises, but they are now keen on privatising sectors which are making profit, the Congress leader said.

On the Kalaburagi city Corporation election results in Karnataka, Kharge said Congress has emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats while BJP got 23. Talks are on with Janata Dal (secular) which got four seats and an independent, and their response is awaited, he said.

Earlier in the day, Kharge visited Congress veteran Oscar Fernandes at a hospital in the city, where he is undergoing treatment, and enquired about his health.

Kharge later said he spoke to Fernandes’ wife, family members and doctors treating him. “Oscar and I have been sharing a very cordial relationship since the 80s,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)