Rahul Gandhi’s Prime Minister remark is ‘arrogance’, says PM Modi in Karnataka

“Why did Modiji not contribute a single rupee?” he said asked. “Is this your “sabka saath, sabka vikas” (together with all, development for all)?” she said. Uma Bharti, who made a formidable impact in Karnataka as the spearhead of an Ayodhya-like agitation in Hubli, is missing. And then, the chief minister’s political googly in promising separate religious minority status to the dominant Lingayat community has the chance of weaning away the powerful Lingayat community away from BJP and Yeeyurappa.

Gandhi also asked Modi to explain why he took away the Rafale contract from HAL, which deprived young IT professionals and engineers of Karnataka of job opportunities. He said that country’s infrastructure sector was growing rapidly and stated that without employing more people it was not possible to achieve this growth. These choices have undermined Modi’s stand against corruption.

Modi accused the Congress of protecting the corrupt, adopting a divide-and-rule policy, making false promises and having no agenda other than “abusing Modi”. “Their motto is to divide people, divide castes, divide states etc”.

For the last four years, Siddaramaiah has fashioned himself as a regional leader.

Modi will address national executive members of the BJP in what would be the first such meeting and is seen as aimed at toning up the party’s organisational machinery in the run up to the General Elections.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said while it is Gandhi’s right to “dream” about becoming the prime minister, even Congress’ allies were not accepting him as their leader.

The party also plans to construct more than 300 “Annapoorna Canteens” across the state, with three in each of the 30 district headquarters and one in each sub-district (taluka) headquarters to provide affordable meals to all. Modi’s praise for Gowda is a virtual admission of the BJP’s fear it could lose the election. Again, the reality of an unimpressive local leadership dogs the BJP leading to this over dependence on Modi. “They have created fake voter IDs to massively rig the Karnataka election”.

“When there is discussion about patriotism in our country, when there is a discussion about rashtra bhakti, raashtra geet, Vande mataram, some people are anxious”, said PM Modi at an election rally in Jamkhandi, Karnataka.

Modi today concluded his interactions- which happened in the run-up to the Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 12- with an interaction with the workers of the state BJP’s SC, ST, OBC and slum wings.

“Here’s what the BJP would do to the people of Karnataka if it had its way”. “The people of Karnataka should resolve never to forgive such a party”, he said. No one can save the Congress now. It would also discuss strategy to galvanize party machinery to win Lok Sabha polls in 2019.