Mangaluru: Taking a dig at the BJP government at the centre, Minister for Forest and Ecology said that the BJP was criticizing the schemes implemented by the UPA government, but are now continuing the same schemes under different name.

Addressing a news conference at Circuit House, Mangaluru on Saturday, Rai said that the Aadhar Card was criticized by the BJP when it was implemented by the UPA government, but now the same BJP is praising it. They also criticized and commented on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), now the PM is doing the same, but with a different brand name.

“Some of the villages of Dakshina Kannada were selected as ‘Nirmal Grama’ by the UPA government, now the Modi government has continued the same project as ‘Swach Gram’. When UPA leaders went on Pakistan and USA visit, the BJP criticised the Congress, but now even the BJP is doing the same thing,” he said.

Further criticising the Jan Dhan Scheme of the government, Rai said that several lakh people have opened accounts but how many have received the money.

Taking a dig at the PM for spending over Rs 1000 cr on his own band building and advertisements, Rai said that Modi has to understand that he is wasting money for such wasteful exercises.

Rai recalled that most of the development in Dakshina Kannada has been done by the Congress- Mangaluru airport, New Mangaluru Port, Railway, National Highway, Bridges, MCF, MRPL, Magaluru University etc, while the contribution of the BJP to the district has been nill.

DK Congress Interim President Ibrahim Kodijal and others were present.