‘Shobha Karandlaje is threatening people’

Congress MLAs in Dakshina Kannada, Ramanatha Rai and UT Khader, will take up a ‘shadow campaign’ against state energy minister Shobha Karandlaje for endangering the energy security of lakhs of people in Karnataka.

“We will take the matter up to our seniors in Delhi and appeal to them to influence the petroleum and Union energy ministers to give a clear picture to the people of Karnataka. Karandlaje is not just misleading the people but [has] also put them in a quandary,” the MLAs said.

“She has been given too much power and autonomy by the BJP but she does not have any special capabilities to be in the government. She has endangered the energy security of the people of Karnataka. So far, no energy minister of any state has threatened the people of snatching away their energy security” said Rai, MLA from Buntwal.

Rai told DNA that Karandlaje had been pampered too much by the government by giving an important portfolio that she cannot handle. He said energy crisis and the confusion over LPG was because of the mismanagement of the inter-state relations in matters of energy.

Khader, who was more vociferous, said Karandlaje has stirred a hornet’s nest by threatening to take away LPG connections from people and by meting out step-motherly treatment to the state by putting it in darkness even as Bangalore is exempted.

“She was not aware of the consequences of her actions and utterings, it could [have] led to a social unrest as the energy insecurity was the most feared by all.

“She has been living in an ivory tower for too long and this time we will urge her to come out of her comfort zone and take a glimpse into the common man’s life, how he struggles to keep his family alive,” Khader said.