Moily's audio counters Modi's video to woo NRIs

Karnataka will be re-emerge as an IT superpower and will make India proud, Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily has said as he accused the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government of damaging the state's image as an investment destination.

Moily, who had served as the chief minister of Karnataka between 1992 and 1994, was addressing Indian-Americans in New York through an audio link from New Delhi on Monday.

This audio conference, organised by Indian National Overseas Congress, comes only a day after the Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi addressed NRIs across 18 cities in the United States through a video conference.

The senior Congress leader told NRIs that the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government has caused irreparable damage to the image of Karnataka, which was once the most favoured investment destination in India.

"We will respond to the aspirations of Kannadigas not only in India but all over the world by providing a stable, corruption free, transparent and accountable government," he said.

Moily said the new government, headed by Chief Minister K Siddaramiah, will make Karnataka an IT superpower again and will make India proud.

Moily said due to anarchy and misrule, Karnataka reached its lowest ebb in education and knowledge sectors.

"The state, built by eminent statesmen like by Sir M Vishweswarayya, was in shambles and people have made a good choice to retrieve Karnataka from the clutches of corrupt BJP," he said.

The election results in Karnataka indicate the shape of things to come and reassures that the Congress will form the government for the third consecutive term at the centre, Moily added.

Photograph courtesy: Veerappa's Moily website