Motormouth BJP MP from Karnataka, Anantkumar Hegde, courted another controversy, calling employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) "traitors" and warned that 88,000 employees of the beleaguered telecom company will be laid off.
According to media reports, in a video of an event held in Uttara Kannada district, which is his parliamentary constituency, the MP is heard saying that BSNL is filled with traitors. "I am using the right words to describe them," he said.
He claimed that even the BJP government at the Centre could not bring in order in the public sector unit (PSU).
Pointing out that a lot of money has been pumped into the sector as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' vision, he said more than 88,000 employees of the company will be sacked and added that the PSU will be privatised. "The government has given money, people require services and there is infrastructure. Yet, they don't work," the MP was quoted as saying in the video, reported Deccan Herald.
The MP claimed that in places like Bangaluru there is no connectivity at all for BSNL and added that at least in the Uttara Kannada area, there is some mobile coverage.
According to a Print report, the saffron party backed the MP saying Hegde was only laying bare the facts. Party spokesperson S. Prakash clarified that the MP was referring to BSNL employees opting for voluntary retirement when he said about 88,000 employees of the company will be fired and added that Hegde was merelyspeaking about the inefficiency in BSNL.
Reacting sharply to the BJP MP's allegations, the Congress reportedly said the comments only showed Hegde’s worth and added that the Centre is ready to privatise everything and this showed its inability to govern.
