BJP pulled India out of dirty politics: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the people of Karnataka to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party to help bring the state out of what he called was the “politics of manipulation”, as he hit out at the Congress for having treated the state as “an ATM” that fills its treasury.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the people of Karnataka to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party to help bring the state out of what he called was the “politics of manipulation”, as he hit out at the Congress for having treated the state as “an ATM” that fills its treasury.
The PM urged the people to give a full majority to the party to ensure fast-paced development, and renewed the “double-engine government” pitch.
“Karnataka has seen a long period of opportunistic and selfish coalition governments. Karnataka has faced losses due to such governments. So, for fast-paced development of Karnataka, BJP’s full majority, and stable government is needed,” Modi said at a rally in Davengere to mark the culmination of the BJP’s Vijay Sankalpa Yatre.
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Assembly polls in Karnataka are due by May.
“Our country had been mired in dirty politics for years. What prevailed in the country then was the politics of allegation and blame game. But since coming to power, BJP has transformed the ‘politics of manipulation’ in the country into the ‘politics of performance’,” he said.
“When no one gets full majority, will Karnataka be in bad shape or not? Do you want a strong and stable government or not? Do you want a government with full majority or not?,” he asked the scores of people gathered at the event.
“The first job should be to bring Karnataka out of the politics of manipulation and take it forward at a fast pace,” the Prime Minister added.
Asking the people if they wanted him to serve the state, the PM said: “If I have to serve you and do something for you, I will need BJP’s strong government in Karnataka, and you will have to make BJP win and bring in its strong government.”
The party launched its Vijaya Sankalpa Yatres earlier this month from four different directions across the State, in specially-designed vehicles or “rathas”, and have covered all 224 Assembly segments.
The PM also listed out various developmental projects that were launched by him recently in the state.
“This is a double-engine government that works day and night. From providing free ration to free health care, it is taking care of and working for the poor,” he said.
The BJP has often used its double-engine government — the party’s governments both at the Centre and the state — pitch ahead of state elections.
In his address, Modi also cautioned the people to not give the Congress an opportunity “to play their game”.
“Can we trust Congress that makes false promises? Should they be allowed to place a step inside Karnataka or should they be thrown out,” he said, saying that the leaders of the party were wandering the state “with a bag of false guarantees”.
The PM’s remark was in reference to the four poll promises announced by the Congress — stipends for unemployed youth, ₹2,000 for women heads of family, 200 units of free electricity and free 10kg rice.
He alleged that the party had made similar promises ahead of the poll in Himachal Pradesh, but they did not find mention in the state budget announced recently.
The opposition party, the PM said, has been saying “Modi teri kabr khudegi (Modi your grave will be dug)”. “But they don’t know that the people of Karnataka are saying, ‘Modi tera Kamal khilega (Modi, your lotus will bloom)’,” he said.
The BJP’s poll symbol is a lotus.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, Union minister Pralhad Joshi and Union ministers of state Shobha Karandlaje, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and A Narayanaswamy, were also present at the event, along with several Karnataka ministers.
Ahead of his speech, the PM held a roadshow, during which a man tried to break the police cordon and run towards him.
While the special protection group were able to stop the man, a Davengere police officer said the person has been taken into custody.
Earlier in the day, the PM inaugurated the Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR).
At the event, he hit out at opposition parties for “playing a game” over languages for political gains.
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“Kannada is a prosperous language. It is a language that increases the pride of the country. Earlier governments did not take steps towards teaching medical, engineering and technical education in Kannada too,” Modi said.
“These political parties did not want the sons and daughters from villages, poor and backward-class families to become doctors or engineers, whereas our government which works for the welfare of the poor has given an option of medical education in Indian languages, including Kannada,” he added.
The PM also inaugurated the 13.71-km metro stretch between Whitefield and Krishnarajapura (KR Puram), built at a cost of around ₹4,000 crore.
Modi also travelled in the metro with CM Bommai, and officials of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
