Congress to raise Amit Shah's riots warning with EC: ‘brazenly intimidatory’

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that Karnataka will be “afflicted with riots” if the Congress comes to power.

Published on: Apr 26, 2023, 14:55:49 IST

By HT News Desk

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After Union home minister Amit Shah warned that Karnataka will be “afflicted with riots” if Congress comes to power in the state, senior Congress leader Jaimram Ramesh on Wednesday said the party will raise the matter with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Calling the statement “brazenly intimidatory”, Jairam Ramesh said the response of the people to Congress's poll campaign in Karnataka “explains Amit Shah's 4-I strategy: Insult, Inflame, Incite & Intimidate."

Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah addresses a public meeting ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections. (PTI)

Addressing a public meeting at Terdal in Belagavi district, Shah on Tuesday said if the Congress comes to power in Karnataka, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high in the state and it will be "afflicted with riots". Seeking people’s mandate for “political stability” in the state, the Union minister asserted that only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can lead it towards a “new Karnataka”.

"If the Congress comes to power, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high and Karnataka will be afflicted with riots,” said Shah, one of the party's key poll strategists and campaigners.

“If Congress comes to power by mistake, then corruption will be at an all-time high and there will be ‘appeasement’,” he added.

Reacting to his statement, Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, tweeted, “This is a brazenly intimidatory statement. The Union Home Minister having allegiance to an organisation banned by India's very first Home Minister is now issuing threats during an election campaign when staring at certain defeat,” referring to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP's ideological fountainhead.

“It is now clear that BJP is losing Karnataka decisively. The response of the people to the campaigns of the Congress leadership has been overwhelming. This explains Amit Shah's 4-I strategy: Insult, Inflame, Incite & Intimidate. Shame on Shah! We are raising it with the ECI,” he added.

Karnataka will go to the polls in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.

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