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Rahul Gandhi today accused the BJP of promoting corruption during its five-year tenure in Karnataka. The party's government under the leadership of BS Yeddyurappa looted the public wealth to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore in illegal mining scandal, he said.
"The BJP chief ministers have created a world record in corruption. Their chief minister also went to jail for corruption charges. One of their ministers is still in jail for illegal mining charges," he said while addressing an election rally in Bangalore South constituency, this evening.
Congress Vice President also ridiculed the Gujarat model stating that it fosters only corruption. The BJP's Gujarat model will burst like the "India Shining" campaign launched by BJP in 2004. He also held the five-year rule of BJP in Karnataka responsible for converting Bangalore from garden city to garbage city.
Explaining the achievements of UPA government in the last 10 years such as right to information, right to food, employment among others, he promised that the Congress, if voted to power, will assure right to health and shelter to the poor people in the next five years. "We will guarantee that the poor people in the country will get free medicines, food and shelter in the coming five years," he said.
He claimed that the UPA government elevated 150 million people out of the poverty line in the last 10 years.
Seeking votes for Congress candidates in the three constituencies of Bangalore, Gandhi promised to transform the country into a major manufacturing hub and ensure that the country emerges as the big hardware hub.
"We will make the "made in India" and "made in Bangalore" products a common scene across the world. Our vision in the next five years is to develop major industrial corridors across the country and promote the hardware sector in the same way like the software industry," he said.
He assured that 100 million jobs would be created in the manufacturing sector in the next five years.
Earlier, in the day, Gandhi also addressed election rally at Raichur in northern Karnataka.
