BENGALURU/BIDAR, March 3 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a blistering attack on the Congress and JD(S), dubbing them ‘dynastic parties,’ which are number one in corruption and keep their family’s interests on top, as he stepped up the BJP’s campaign in poll-bound Karnataka.
He also accused the Congress of ‘insulting’ its veterans, and said the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated former chief minister B S Yediyurappa on his birthday is something which all the political parties should learn on how to treat such leaders.
Shah addressed two public meetings as part of BJP’s “Vijay Sankalpa Yatra ” ahead of the polls due by May at the district headquarters town of Bidar and Devanahalli near Bengaluru.
“You have to decide whether you want to vote for FDI-friendly BJP, or Congress and JD(S), which are number one in corruption”, he said. “Do you want BJP which made Karnataka number one in aviation and space, or Congress and JD(S), which keep their family interest at number 1 place?” he asked.
The Minister also asked people whether they would vote for the BJP which made Karnataka number one in startups and unicorns or the JD(S), which is “giving tickets to every member of their family”.
Shah also sought to know whether people would vote for the BJP, which banned the Popular Front of India and its allied organisations or the Congress, which is “ready to support terrorists for the sake of vote bank politics”.
“Parties, which give preference to their families, cannot do good to Karnataka. They cannot rise above the family interest to think about the welfare of poor people in Karnataka,” he said.
The Minister claimed that only the BJP led by Prime Minister Modi is concerned about the poor people.
He also alleged that “every vote given to the JD(S) eventually goes to the Congress”.
“When you vote for the JD(S) and they get 25 to 30 seats, they go to the Congress and Karnataka comes under the rule of the number one corrupt Congress.”
He appealed to the people to give BJP an absolute majority.
Shah said the Congress always insulted its leaders — be it S Nijalingappa or former Chief Minister Veerendra Patil.
He claimed that only the BJP knows how to treat the party veterans with dignity.
“Prime Minister Modi was in Karnataka recently and the way he felicitated Yediyurappa in front of people is something which all the political parties should learn. They should learn how to respect their elderly, stalwarts and popular leaders,” Shah said.
Attacking the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Minister said, “What has happened to the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi? They are raising slogans, “Modi Teri Kabr Khudegi. The Aam Aadmi Party is also shouting ‘Modi Mar Ja’ (May Modi die).”
Shah said such “sloganeering” will not help because the Prime Minister has the blessings of people.
“The more you indulge in mudslinging, lotus (BJP’s party symbol) will bloom further,” he said.
