NEW YORK (TIP): Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily assured the Non- Resident Indians that the Congress government headed by Chief Minister K Siddaramiah in Karnataka will put the state back again on the global map in Information and bio technology. It will become IT superpower again and make India proud. Moily was addressing Indian-Americans over live audio conference by telephone from New Delhi at a victory celebration organized by Dr. Dayanand Naik, Karnataka chapter President of Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) here on May 13 night.

Moily told NRIs that the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government had done irreparable damage to the image of Karnataka abroad which was the most favored investment destination when the Congress Party ruled the State. “We will respond to the aspirations of Kannadigas not only in India but all over the world by providing a stable, corrupt-free, transparent and accountable government.” Terming the recently-held election as “liberation movement,” the Union Minister thanked Dr. Naik and his team from the Indian National Overseas Congress for their support and campaign using social media and mass email to their friends and relatives back home to bring back Congress to power. Moily said due to anarchy and misrule, Karnataka reached its lowest ebb in education and knowledge sectors. “They have destroyed the education system by sanctioning universities and educational institutions that had neither infrastructure nor any faculty. “The State built by statesmen like by Sir M. Vishweswarayya was in shambles and the 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 Congress will form the government for the third consecutive term in the center, he said. George Abraham, president of Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) in his presidential address, said the people of Karnataka had spoken loud and clear disproving all negativities and fake poll predictions of a hung assembly.

He appealed to the Congress High Command to reserve seats for Non-Resident Indian members of the INOC who are Indian citizens to contest Parliament and State Assembly elections. “There are some NRIs among MPs now and we need more to raise the issue of overseas Indians in Parliament,” he said. He mentioned Juned Qazi, President of Madhya Pradesh Chapter who is aspiring for a ticket to contest Aligarh Lok Sabha seat and said INOC (I) fully endorsed him.

Shudh Parkash Singh, INOC Senior Vice President said Karnataka has proved that stable government is a must for development. Dr. Naik, a leading physician and former president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) said over 100 volunteers from the US will go to India to campaign for Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He said plans are afoot to rope in and seek the advice of Indian-Americans who campaigned for President Obama on how to use social media and online campaigns to ensure victory of Congress Party.