Bengaluru: Two days after showering praise on JD(S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a U-turn and came down heavily on the former Prime Minister’s party for joining hands with extremist organisations to win the Assembly Karnataka elections.
“The only service JD(S) has done to the state is to join hands with extremist, communal elements, risking the future of Karnataka,” Mr Modi said in an apparent reference to Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) extending support to the JD(S).
Addressing an election rally at Visvesvaraya grounds in Kengeri satellite town, Mr Modi appealed to voters not to “commit the mistake” of voting for the JD(S) in May 12 elections, describing the party as totally insignificant in the contest.
“Whatever political pundits might say, the JD(S) is restricted to third position, and cannot be an alternative to the Congress or form the government with its own strength,” he maintained, claiming that a desperate JD(S) had now joined hands with extremist organisations, that were a threat to national security, to win the elections.
Mr Modi’s remarks against the JD(S) were made before a moderate crowd drawn from four Assembly constituencies of Yeshwantapura, Rajarajeshwarinagara, Bengaluru South and Ramanagara with a large number of Vokkaliga voters, who are Mr Gowda’s traditional supporters.
Turning his attention towards city issues like garbage and lakes, the Prime Minister claimed the Congress had tarnished Bengaluru’s image by converting the Garden City into a “garbage city” and the lakes built by its founder, Kempegowda into fiery spots (in a clear reference to the Bellandur lake fire). If voted to power, the BJP would restore the glory of Bengaluru, he vowed.
Mr Modi called the Siddaramaiah government a “gold medalist in corruption where there is competition between departments and ministers over who is more corrupt”.
Mr Modi also picked on Congress MLA, N.A. Harris’ son assaulting a youth in a restaurant and a minister physically pushing a handicapped youth from a lift to target the state government on failing to protect the people of Bengaluru. He referred to the steel bridge that was planned from Chalukya circle to Hebbal, as a “steal bridge” that would have allowed Congress ministers to loot public money.
Also, calling the Congress manifesto a bundle of lies, he said none of its assurances could be implemented as they were impractical.
As for poll surveys predicting a hung Assembly, he claimed it was the Congress, which was trying to create confusion by such talk and insisted that the BJP would come to power in Karnataka with a clear mandate under the leadership of its state chief B.S.Yeddyurappa.
Addressing a rally at Kalaburagi earlier, Mr Modi invoked regional pride, recalled the contribution of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in the liberation of the Hyderabad Karnataka region from the Nizam’s “tyrannical” rule. “But the Congress has insulted Sardar Patel because it wants to eulogise only one family,” he said.
The Prime Minister also claimed that two famous generals from Karnataka, Field Marshal K.M. Kariappa and General Thimmaiah were insulted by the Nehru family.
Applauding famers of Kalaburagi for growing high quality tur dal, he pulled up the state government for being insensitive to their needs and sitting on the Swaminathan Commission report recommending an increase in their minimum support price.
He appealed to the people of Karnataka to vote for the BJP “for a better future for their youth, farmers and women”.
“You have seen how the Congress has been defeated in all four corners of the country. For the first time since independence there is a new hope in the BJP. This poll in Karnataka is not merely about which party will come to power and which will not, but about a better future for Karnataka. We have seen the state being ruined for five years and will put a stop to it,” he declared.
