Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah hits back at Narendra Modi, asks percent of people’s money is involved in PNB scam

Bengaluru: Stung by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "10 percent commission" jibe against his government, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said Modi was, in fact, a facilitator of corruption.

"You made common people stand in queues to deposit their money in the banks (referring to the note ban in 2016) and then let Nirav Modi (billionaire jeweller accused in Punjab National Bank's fraud case) run away with Rs 12,000 crore of people's money," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Modi on Monday raked up the commission charge and urged people to elect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming state Assembly poll to have a "government with a mission".

File image of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. Getty Images

"I received many calls from people after I said at a rally in Bengaluru recently (4 February) that a 10 percent commission government was ruling the state. They said the commission was more than (10 percent). You decide if you want a commission or a mission government," Modi had said addressing a public meeting in Mysuru.

Accusing the ruling party of ruining the southern state, Modi said welfare of the people was not a priority for the Siddaramaiah government during its five-year rule.

Lashing out at the prime minister for his "disparaging" comments, the Congress leader hailing from Mysuru district said: "Someone from Mysuru would have never allowed a fugitive run away".