The new Congress government in Karnataka on Monday slammed the five-year Bharatiya Janata Party rule, saying public money has been swindled and esteem of the state lowered by scams and corruption cases.

The Siddaramaiah dispensation chose the address of Governor H R Bhardwaj, to the joint session of the state legislature to mount an attack on the previous government.

"In the past few years, Karnataka has been held in a very low esteem on account of the large number of scams and corruption cases that have come to light", the governor said, without referring to the BJP rule.

"Public money has been swindled and developmental works have come to a halt. Consequently, people have lost faith in political parties. The growing public cynicism has proved detrimental to democratic traditions", Bhardwaj said.

The Congress government, he said, is determined to regain the lost confidence of the people by ensuring a clean and accountable administration, adding, a lax administration invariably paves the way for corruption.

"In the coming days, the mark of my government will be reflected through efficient, effective and transparent administration", the governor said.

Bhardawaj's comments evoked a sharp reaction from Siddaramaiah's predecessor Jagadish Shettar, now BJP floor leader in the assembly.

"The governor has set a new precedent. He has not raised any specific instance of corruption. The Congress, which leads the UPA, has no moral right on talking about corruption given the 2G and other scams", Shettar said.

Image: Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj