Mysuru:  Gujarat MLA and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani has issued a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a four-minute debate on the achievements of his four-year-old NDA government at the Centre. “I am a Gujarati and he (Modi) is a Gujarati. I challenge him for an open debate on his government’s contributions. I’m sure he cannot speak as he has failed to deliver what he has promised,” he said.

Modi had challenged Congress President Rahul Gandhi at an election rally at Santhemarahalli near Chamarajanagar on Tuesday to speak for 15 minutes in a language of his choice, without reading from a piece of paper.

Addressing reporters at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in city yesterday, Mevani dubbed Modi’s speech in Chamarajanagar ‘dull and a disaster’. “There was no content in his speech. He should have raised real problems faced by the people of India such as unemployment. He promised 2 crore jobs each year, which is nearly 9 crore jobs in four years,” Mevani said.

“Modi is silent on the issue of farmers’ suicides, the agrarian crisis, attacks on Dalits and minorities, and on the 50 lakh shelters he promised. He did not utter a single word on these issues. Instead of creating jobs, he is slicing them through various amendments,” Mevani said.

A strong critic of Modi, Mevani claimed that Modi had done nothing for Gujarat in the past 22 years. He also appealed to the JD(S) not to join hands with the BJP. “If the JD(S) allies with the BJP, they would be defrauding the Dalits and minorities in the State,” he said.

Pointing out that some of the statements made by JD(S) leaders made one suspicious of the party’s secular credentials, Mevani said, “One of the party’s leaders has said that he will go with the BJP to defeat Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in Chamundeshwari segment. The JD(S) has allied with the BJP in the past, and if that happens this time, it would be the biggest fraud that the party would have played on Dalits and minorities in the State.”

On the stand of Dalits for the Karnataka elections, he said, “I only request them to save the Constitution by staying away from the Sangh Parivar.”

He said Modi calls himself ‘Kaamdaar’ but the employees such as lift operators, office assistants in Gujarat State Secretariat lack minimum wages. He predicted that the 2019 elections will be between Indians and the BJP, and the elections in Karnataka will be a preamble to the big battle.