Nadda slams Congress as BJP kicks off Vijay Sankalp Yatra

Inaugurating the party’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in Sindgi in Vijayapura district on Saturday, Nadda said unlike the BJP, which has an agenda of Vikas (development), Congress has “an agenda of vinash (destruction)”.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Saturday said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra undertaken by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was “filled with those who want to divide the nation”.

BJP national president JP Nadda being presented with the memento by party supporters during a public meeting, in Vijayapura. (Jagat Prakash Nadda Twitter)

Inaugurating the party’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in Sindgi in Vijayapura district on Saturday, Nadda said unlike the BJP, which has an agenda of Vikas (development), Congress has “an agenda of vinash (destruction)”.

“All along the yatra, Rahul Gandhi has walked with people who have been working to divide the nation. Even in Karnataka, he had taken people who wanted to divide the country, and people of the state should not forget this,” he said.

Nadda alleged that Congress has a history of “creating social disharmony and anarchy in the country”, adding that it was only the BJP that could protect and preserve the rich culture, heritage, and customs of India and Karnataka.

“It is evident that it was the Congress that divided the country after independence… under the Congress rule, 92% of mobile phones used in India were imported. But now, over 97% of handsets are made in India. This is just one of the many examples to show the path of self-reliance that India is moving on,” he said.”

“The BJP governments, at the Centre and the state, have been providing pro-people governance with transparency and development. This is in complete contrast to the Congress style of governance, which is full of corruption and nepotism. The people of this country have realised this and have decided to re-elect BJP governments and keep the Congress out of power everywhere,” Nadda said.

With the Yatra, the BJP kick-started its aggressive poll campaign from two important Lingayat Maths – Jnana Yogashrama in north Karnataka and Siddaganga Math in Tumakuru in south Karnataka.

The day chosen for this campaign was also significant. On this day in 2019, Shivakumar Swamiji of Siddaganga Math, who had earned the reputation of ‘Walking God’ for his philanthropic work, passed away at the age of 111.

BJP national president J P Nadda flew down to Vijayapura in north Karnataka bordering Maharashtra and went to the Jnanayogashrama to pay his obeisance to Sri Siddheshwar Swamiji, who passed away recently. The saint is known by his followers as ‘Jnanayogi’ for his noble teachings.

The rally by the BJP chief is the third rally organised by the party in this region.

Leading the campaign, Nadda gave a clarion call to BJP workers to spread the ‘development story’ of Karnataka achieved in the last four years under saffron party rule.

“Development, law and order, transparency, government and holistic development mean BJP while anti-people, corruption, commission, casteism and division means Congress,” Nadda told the cheering crowd in Vijayapura.

Reiterating the BJP’s mantra ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, the BJP president said Karnataka is at the forefront of realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious project Digital India programme.

He also said the development India has seen in the last eight years was remarkable. “In December, 782 crore digital transactions through the UPI had happened worth ₹13 lakh crore. India accounts for 40 per cent of UPI transactions the world over,” Nadda said. He also said that in 2014, India had laid only 350 km of optical fibre cables (OFC), which increased to 2.78 lakh km by end of 2022.

Nadda said other parties stand for “dynastic politics, casteism and regionalism” whereas BJP believes in taking everyone along.

Meanwhile, in Tumakuru, chief minister Bommai blew the election bugle from Siddaganga Math after paying respect to Shivakumar Swamiji, who passed away four years ago on this day.

Addressing reporters, Bommai said the BJP is set to win more than 130 seats and get a clear majority. The Karnataka Assembly has 224 members.

The Chief Minister launched the door-to-door campaign and pasted BJP posters in the houses of party supporters. BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel launched the yatra from Bengaluru.

The Congress on Saturday released a “charge sheet” against the Narendra Modi government, terming the BJP a ‘Bhrasht Jumla Party’ and alleging that its mantra was ‘kuch ka saath, khud ka vikas, sabke saath vishwasghaat’ (for the benefit of few, development for self and betrayal of everyone)”.

The charge sheet released by the two leaders dubbed the BJP ‘Bhrasht Jumla Party’, and alleged that its mantra is “Kuch ka saath, khud ka vikas, sabke saath vishwasghat (For the benefit of few, development for self and betrayal of everyone)”, an apparent swipe at the government’s ‘sabka-saath-sabka-vikas-sabka-vishwas-sabka-prayas’ slogan.

(With PTI inputs)