Karnataka tops list of corrupt states: Rahul Gandhi

BANGALORE: Congress youth icon Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said Karnataka, once the No. 1 ne state in the IT sector, now topped the list in corruption and illegal mining.

Exhorting the youth to take the lead in reviving the state’s past glory, Rahul said: “Bangalore was synonymous with the Silicon Valley . This happened during the Congress regime. Unfortunately, the state is now No.1 in corruption and illegal mining.”

Winding up his whistle-stop tour of Karnataka and addressing youth in the 18-25 age group at the Bangalore Palace grounds, Rahul said the best period of administration in Karnataka was that of SM Krishna’s. In Bijapur and Udupi - his earlier stops - the AICC general secretary said the aam aadmi was the one who suffered due to corruption.

With elections to the Youth Congress due in May-June in the state, Rahul said he had put an end to the nominations culture, and all posts would be filled through polls.

Rahul, scheduled to spend Wednesday night in Bangalore, made a last-minute change in his itinerary and left for New Delhi late evening. This disappointed the rank and file as many wanted to meet him on the reconstituted KPCC list.

Before leaving for New Delhi, he met MPs, legislators and the new KPCC members for 30 minutes.

At the meeting too, he is reported to have emphasised the need for infusing young blood into the party, warning at the same time that any misdemeanour by the youth would be dealt with seriously.