Video of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya ‘promoting’ a dosa as heavy rains crippled city draws ire

“When Rome was Burning, Nero was Fiddling was the old saying.. Latest Saying is when Bangalore was flooding our South MP was enjoying. Video is dated 5th September – Monday when the whole city was flooded and people suffering this irresponsible MP is promoting Hotels and Enjoying food…(SIC) ” the facebook user said in his post, pointing out that the video was from Monday. 

Heavy rains that lashed the city on Sunday night left Bengaluru crippled, marooning whole localities. The video soon caught the attention of political parties.

Karnataka Congress leader and AICC spokesperson Lavanya Ballal took to twitter to share the video, questioning if the first-time MP had visited any rain-affected regions in the city.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s  youth wing president in Karnataka, Mukund Gowda, too joined the charge against the BJP MP.

Video dated 5th September.@Tejasvi_Surya was enjoying a good breakfast while Bangalore was drowning.

Has he visited even a single flood affected region? pic.twitter.com/uFnZ4Rjs1m

— Lavanya Ballal (@LavanyaBallal) September 6, 2022

Food blogger @Tejasvi_Surya avare,

If you want to promote other hotels,
Let’s meet for a coffee on ORR Your voters from Bengaluru South are working there. pic.twitter.com/51yhnpdS84

— Mukund Gowda (@nimmamukund) September 6, 2022

Within hours, several social media accounts, including those of Congress and AAP leaders, called out the BJP Yuva Morcha president for his “insensitivity” at a time the city was suffering.

Over the last two days, rains have led to the death of a 23-year-old woman, inundated several homes, resulted in snapping of water and electricity supplies, and caused severe damage to infrastructure and productivity

“When Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling. The entire constituency of Bommanahalli is drowned. Rishi Sunak has lost in London, but Surya will take Bengaluru to 10 Drowning Street,” Hariprasad BK, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council, told South First.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Mahesh G defended the young MP and insisted that there was no harm in eating masala dosa.

“This is cheap criticism. As a parliamentarian and a public representative it is one’s duty to attend to issues, and anyone can criticise. These problems of flooding were not created overnight. This has happened over 50 to 60 years of mismanagement, and it is not the question of any individual lapses,” he told South First.

Eat, don’t advertise

Congress working president and one of the senior-most MLAs from Bengaluru, Ramalinga Reddy, pointed out that while eating food wasn’t the problem, the MP’s advertising of it was.

“He (Tejasvi Surya) can eat whatever dish he wants to in whichever hotel he wants to, but he shouldn’t have posted it on social media to show off. At least not when the city is drowning. A representative should understand people’s sentiments,” Reddy said.

AAP’s State President and Convener Prithvi Reddy told South First: “Flooding in Bengaluru is not god made but man made. It’s a result of greed of certain people and political parties that has turned blessings into curses. People pray for rains, unfortunately this has resulted in floods due to poor planning and corruption.”

“Tejasvi Surya, who represents one-third of Bengaluru, should have shown concern (for) people.. who lost their houses, (and) the girl who lost her life.”