Bengaluru: Setting the tempo for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) poll campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remarked that the countdown had begun for the ruling Congress in the State that it was already at the exit gate.
Addressing a huge rally at the Palace Grounds here to mark the culmination of the BJP’s 85-day Parivartana Yatra yesterday, Modi said very soon, Karnataka will be free from Congress as well as its culture, besides corruption and crime.
Launching a tirade against the Congress Government, Modi alleged that the rule of criminals was ruling the roost in Karnataka than that of law. The administration was dominated by sand mafia, transfer mafia and builder mafia, he said and added that scams and mafia have a free run here.
Accusing the Siddharamaiah Government of failing to maintain Law and Order, Modi expressing concern over the murder of several BJP workers under Congress rule, said that when the entire world was talking about the ease of doing business, the Karnataka Government focused on the ease of committing murders.
Exhorting the voters to ensure a ‘Congress-Mukt’ Karnataka, the PM said the Congress Government in the State had failed to reach the benefits to the aam aadmi.
Accusing the Congress Government of indulging in corruption, Modi said “I have been told that the Karnataka Government is a 10 percent commission Government as 10 percent commission was being demanded for all works.”
Alleging that the State Government was taking corruption to a new level, he also accused it of blocking implementation of Central Schemes.
Pointing out that the Central Government had initiated ‘Housing for all’ scheme by 2022, Modi said Karnataka has been allotted 3.36 lakh houses for the poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, but the State Government had constructed only 38,000 houses.
Accusing the Congress of working backwards, he said “When the BJP is working towards taking the nation forward, here in Karnataka the Ganga is flowing backwards.”
A huge crowd gathered at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru for the rally addressed by PM Modi yesterday
Asserting that the BJP always stood for the welfare of farmers, he said the BJP has given ‘TOP’ priority to farmers, while explaining that ‘TOP’ meant Tomato, Onion and Potato.
The PM said the Centre would back State BJP President B.S Yeddyurappa’s promise that Rs. 1 lakh crore would be earmarked for irrigation projects if the party comes to power, thus hinting that B.S. Yeddyurappa would be the next Chief Minister of the State.
“With the strength of the Centre and the BJP Government here, we can bring water to the fields of Karnataka”, he said and added that the two Governments could help in multiplying the developmental impact in the State.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi not only spoke in Kannada but also tried to invoke Kannada and regional Pride by referring to icons of Karnataka.
Soon after his initial greetings in Kannada at the rally, Modi referred to Karnataka as the land of Nadaprabu Kempegowda, Basaveshwara, Madara Chennaiah, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and Sir M. Visvesvaraya.
The PM switched to Kannada for the closing remarks too. He expressed confidence that Lotus would bloom in Karnataka in the forth coming Assembly polls.
He also referred to Bengaluru resident and cricketer Rahul Dravid’s contribution as the coach in the victory of the Under-19 cricket team in the World Championship.
According to political circles, Modi invoking Kannada pride was a counter to the Congress pitch to evoke the Kannada pride on the primacy for Kannada and State flag issues.
Interestingly, Modi greeted everyone on the dais by taking their names.
SMK gets prominence
Former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna (SMK), who joined the BJP last year, made an appearance at the Modi rally and was given a front row seat on the dais.
Krishna, also a former Union Minister in the UPA Government, has not been much visible at BJP forums ever since he joined the BJP.
Although Krishna attended the rally, he did not address the crowd.
BJP General Secretary Aravind Limbavali explained that the senior leader was unwell and suffered from a bad throat.
Modi was seen warmly greeting Krishna as soon as he arrived and also greeted him when he left the venue.
Former PM Deve Gowda watches PM’s speech from Shravanabelagola
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP rally at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru, former PM and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda heard the Prime Minister’s speech on his cell phone, sitting at Shravanabelagola in Hassan District, where the Bahubali Mastabhishekha is scheduled to commence from Feb. 7.
This post was published on February 5, 2018 6:42 pm