Karnataka govt is setting new records in corruption, alleges PM Modi

Tearing into the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chided it for setting "new records" in corruption and asserted that the countdown for its exit has begun.

"Congress government is at the exit gate," Modi said, as he mounted an all-out attack on the Congress rule at a huge rally here, dubbing it a "10 per cent commission government" and saying criminals were ruling the roost under it.

Modi also referred to the spate of killings of BJP and Hindu activists, an issue the party has brought to the focal point of its discourse, saying, "ease of doing murders" was being discussed in the state while his government talked about ease of doing business.
 

Slamming the government on the law and order front, Modi said, "instead of the rule of law, the criminals are ruling the roost."

The rally at the sprawling Palace Grounds marked the culmination of the state BJP's 85-day "Parivarthana Yatra" that crisscrossed all the 224 assembly constituencies and virtually sounded the bugle for the coming Assembly polls in the state, due early this year.

The BJP had ruled the state from 2008 to 2013, marked by internal squabbles that saw three Chief Ministers, including BS Yeddyurappa, who quit on graft charge.

The BJP has set a target to win 150-plus seats for the coming polls.

Karnataka is the second major state after Punjab where the Congress is ruling, with BJP going all out to unseat it in the assembly polls as part of its "Congress Mukht Bharat" mission.

Asserting that there was a "saffron wave" in the state, Modi said people of Karnataka had decided to make the state Congress free and to get rid of Congress culture.

"Congress government is a 10 per cent government, where no work happens without paying a commission of 10 per cent.It is a matter of shame if this becomes the identity of a government," he said.

Charging that the state "is setting new records in corruption," Modi said, "Congress-free government means freedom from dynastic rule, nepotism, corruption, and loot."

He also referred to the IT raids at the residences of two state ministers recently and that a raid on a senior Congress leader revealed Benami property and said: "there are steel mafia, sand mafia and transfer mafia' in the state."

"Some people hatched a conspiracy to pocket crores of rupees in the name of building a steel bridge. Due to public outrage and BJP's protest, the project was dropped," Modi said.

He was referring to a steel bridge project in the city at a major traffic junction, which was scrapped after public protest.

Referring to a spate of killings of activists of BJP and Sangh Parivar, he said a number of workers associated with BJP and its affiliated organisations have been murdered.

"It is an assault on the social fabric. I appeal to the people of Karnataka to vote against the government which attacks the social fabric of the state."

Modi said, "I am seeing that Karnataka has decided to free Karnataka from Congress. To free from Congress' culture, from society, from public life, from politics."

Congress had "ruined" the society, culture and politics, he said, adding, "I can see that the BJP government in Karnataka is not far away."

While referring to the law and order situation, Modi said, on the one hand, BJP at the Centre was trying to take India forward, while on the other in Karnataka "there is such a government that there is a reverse flow."

He said criminals are ruling the roost in Bengaluru.

"In Bengaluru also criminal elements have caused worry to the common man. You might have felt this."

Modi said "in the whole world there is discussion about ease of doing business and there are efforts in that direction. Our government is making efforts for the ease of doing business and talking about ease of living."

"But with Congress government in Karnataka, here there are discussions regarding ease of doing murders," he said

BJP government means only development while Congress government means corruption, appeasement, casteism and nepotism, Modi said.

Accusing Congress of practising "appeasement politics" on the issue of triple talaq, Modi said, "Congress' vote bank politics has once again come before Muslim women to take away their rights."

"Congress is trying to hang a bill related to triple talaq", he said, also pointing to Congress opposition to grant constitutional status to the OBC commission.

"To take the country to new heights we want to take everyone together and move forward..... Hundreds of lotuses will bloom in Karnataka from the sludge that is spread by Congress. I have confidence that BJPwill get a resounding victory," Modi said in Kannada.

He said the BJP government would take the state in the direction of progress with the motto "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas".

The "Parivarthana Yatra" was launched by BJP President Amit Shah on November 2 last year.

According to party leaders, the "Yatra' has traversed over 15,000 km during its journey, aimed at "exposing misdeeds" of the Siddaramaiah government.