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BJP running a ‘stolen government’ in Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi
The outgoing BJP regime in poll-bound Karnataka was a “government by theft,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday.
The outgoing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime in poll-bound Karnataka was a “government by theft,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being silent on the issue of corruption in the southern state.
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“This government of the BJP is a stolen government. The BJP stole it three years ago by destroying democracy. Why is PM Modi not speaking about corruption done by this government? He should tell what steps he has taken to stop corruption in Karnataka,” Gandhi said at a rally in Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district.
Gandhi also sought to know why Modi never takes the name of his party’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and the state home minister Araga Jnanendra.
“We take the names of all our leaders during public meetings, but PM Modi never takes the name of any leaders. He never utters a single word about CM Bommai and BS Yeddiyurappa,” Gandhi said. “He just speaks about himself.”
The former Congress president alleged that during the recruitment of sub-inspectors of police, rampant corruption took place but Modi never took the name of Karnataka’s home minister.
“There are two reasons behind it. One is that Narendra Modi talks only about Narendra Modi. For example, there is an election going on in Karnataka and others are talking about the people of Karnataka, development and corruption but Narendra Modi talks only about Narendra Modi during election,” Gandhi said. “He never speaks a word on what the BJP government did in the last three years.”
Gandhi reminded the people that the upcoming assembly elections on May 10 was not about Modi but about their future and their children. “This election is not about Narendra Modi. This election is about your future, about your children, about your youth, mothers and sisters. This is Karnataka’s election,” he said.
“The most important election issue is corruption, price rise and unemployment,” Gandhi said. “In the past three years, the BJP has broken the world record in corruption. There has been 40% corruption on every work.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi held a public meeting in Mandya, and road shows in Chintamani, Hosakote and CV Raman Nagar on Tuesday.
Continuing her attack against the BJP, she said, “They ran the government in Karnataka for 3.5 years, but neither they are capable of showing their faces, nor are they able to speak in front of you. There will definitely be change here.”
Priyanka Gandhi threw a challenge at Modi to fight an election on people’s problems without raising issues of the past. “I challenge the PM, ministers and leaders of the BJP to fight at least one election in any state on the issues of the people and their problems, where they don’t talk about the past or make people fight amongst themselves. People’s problems are inflation, poverty and unemployment,” she said.
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The BJP is aiming to return to power in the state with a majority, and has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats in the assembly. The Congress is banking on anti-incumbency and corruption allegations. Karnataka will vote on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
(With agency inputs)
