Minister’s name removed from Metro inauguration speech list, angering minister

Bengaluru: A controversy has erupted over the Metro inauguration ceremony in Karnataka. The Bengaluru Development Minister has alleged that his speech was removed at the last minute from the November 13th Metro inauguration ceremony. The minister claims that his speech was initially included in the program outline, but was removed from the final list released Wednesday night.

Expressing displeasure over this decision, the Karnataka minister said that he was rewarded for demanding justice for the state of Karnataka, but his speech was cut. He alleged that he was denied the opportunity to speak at such an important event as the Metro inauguration because he raised the state’s interests.

Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said, “We bear the bulk of the capital expenditure. This is the punishment we have received for demanding Karnataka’s fair share.” He said that he raised his voice for Karnataka’s fair share, but he was punished for it.

He said that even though his speech was removed from the program, it would not discourage him from working for Bengaluru’s development. He said, “You can cut my speech short, but you can’t stop us from working for Bengaluru’s development. We will work even harder.”

The minister’s statement is likely to fuel political controversy over his denial of the opportunity to speak at the metro inauguration.