Shortly after B S Yeddyurappa resigned as the chief minister, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "he is corruption" as he authorised "buying" of MLAs and hoped the BJP-RSS learns a lesson from Karnataka.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters soon after BJP's 3-day-old government fell, he said the opposition parties will unite in the coming times to defeat the BJP and the RSS.
Training his guns on the prime minister, an aggressive Gandhi said Modi claims about fighting corruption "is a blatant lie" and accused him of not just promote corruption but being "corruption personified".
"The idea that the prime minister spreads around this country that he is fighting corruption is a blatant lie. He is corruption, He is doing everything to subvert this nation and he is doing it across the board," he said.
Gandhi alleged that there are phone conversations of MLAs being attempted to be purchased by the BJP, saying "that was directly authorised from Delhi".
He said the people have seen "how the prime minister directly authorised the buying, purchasing of MLAs in Karnataka, from our party and from the JD(S)".
"In the end, India's voice and democratic spirit will always triumph over tyranny," Gandhi later tweeted, saying 'satyamev jayate' (the truth shall prevail).
Asked what his message was to the prime minister after the Karnataka defeat, the Congress chief said he should understand that he is not bigger than India, its people, the Supreme Court, the members of Parliament and the state Assembly.
"The prime minister needs to stop thinking that he is bigger than every single institution in this country. The prime minister needs to understand that he has not only been chosen to lead this country, but also to respect the institutions of this country.
"I am doubtful that the prime minister will understand that because he has been trained throughout his life by the RSS never to respect any other institution except the RSS. But that is the message that not me, but the people of Karnataka and the people of India have given to the prime minister," he said.
The Congress leader said he was very proud that the opposition has stood together and defeated the BJP and "we will continue to do" it.
"We will protect the voice of people in every state, wherever we feel the BJP is attacking people...The opposition will unite and coordinate and defeat the BJP...We are going to work with the opposition to defeat the BJP," he said.
Noting that he is not a casteist and does not believe in untouchability, Gandhi said the Congress, along with the opposition, will continue to fight the BJP-RSS.
He claimed that everybody in this country knows that the prime minister's model of leadership is not that of a democratic person. "It is that of a dictator. Everybody knows that. You know, I know that. The Supreme Court knows that. Even the prime minister knows that."
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