Congress keeps abusing me and losing: Modi

PM Narendra Modi has accused the Congress of abusing him 91 times, and criticised the party's treatment of the Lingayat community, BR Ambedkar and VD Savarkar.

Starting the second phase of his campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the attack to the Congress over personal remarks made by the party. Referring to the “poisonous snake” comment by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi said he considered it an honour to be insulted by the Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow in Bengaluru on Saturday. (PTI)

Modi on Saturday flew in from New Delhi and reached Bidar in the morning. He addressed public meetings in Humnabad in Bidar, the district headquarter town in Vijayapura and Kudachi in Belagavi district, before leaving for a rally in Bengaluru.

Addressing a public rally in Bidar, he said, “Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types (of abuses). Had Congress people put efforts in good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, Congress would not have been in such a pathetic plight.”

Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister said the party had even abused BR Ambedkar and was engaged in abusing VD Savarkar.

“The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congress’s hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me,” Modi said.

“I’m not the only one who has been attacked like this. Last election they ran a campaign ‘Chowkidar chor hai’, then they said ‘Modi Chor’, then they said ‘OBC community are chor’, and now just as the election season has started in Karnataka they showed the guts of calling my Lingayat brothers and sisters ‘chor’,” he said.

Modi will be addressing at least 19 rallies across Karnataka three days before the people vote on May 10.

Addressing a rally in Vijayapuara, Modi said the Congress diverted funds for development and ignored the farmers. “Congress never worked for the poor and people of Karnataka, they just looted them. Congress diverted the Vikas fund to the middlemen and ignored the plight of the farmers. Women and daughters of the state suffered a lot under the Congress government. But the BJP government empowered them and changed their lives by providing help to them,” he said.

“The BJP government has prioritised every class such as poor, Dalit, destitute, and disabled. In the BJP government, the society’s deprived sections have social and economic security. The double-engine government has worked for the food, and shelter of the poor. There are nine lakh such families in Karnataka who got entry into their first pucca house after several generations,” Modi added.

In his public address in Belagavi, Modi said the marginalised sections of society had to bear losses during the period of Congress. “During the corruption period of Congress, there were only scams. Our Dalits, tribals and people of backward society had to bear a huge loss due to this. BJP is sincerely working for the poor, Dalits, backward and Banjara communities. We are working day and night for these sections of the society but Congress never wants your upliftment. Congress is just doing the work of abusing Modi. Congress hates whoever works for Dalits and backward,” Modi said.

Ending a busy day of electioneering after back-to-back rallies, Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru, drawing a huge crowd. Modi, who flew into the city from Belagavi around 5pm after addressing his third public meeting of the day, rode in a specially designed vehicle.

A large number of people thronged both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister and showered flowers on him. BJP flags, festoons and posters dotted the road and a group of artists performed Dollu Kunita, a popular drum dance, en route. The 5.3km roadshow passed through various locations in north Bengaluru including Magadi Road, Nice Road Junction and Sumanahalli.

Reacting to the PM’s comments, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said he has been playing the victim card in Karnataka as “he leaves the dirty tricks to Shah and Yogi to polarise”. “The PM’s first day of campaigning in Karnataka is a story of 3 DEs. 1. Double Engine 2. DEspair 3. DEsperation. His speeches were full of Only Nataka, nothing concrete for people of Karnataka,” Ramesh said.

“Predictably PM Modi has begun his much-delayed Karnataka campaign by playing victim card, pleading for a completely discredited so-called ‘double engine’ sarkar and abusing Congress. These will be his tired themes no doubt as he leaves the dirty tricks to Shah & Yogi to polarise,” the Congress leader said.

(With agency inputs)