Kalaburagi: BJP's prime campaigner for the May 12 Assembly elections in Karnataka Prime Minister Narendra Modi places all tricks in his sleeves to ensure he jelled with the massive crowds that came to listen to him.
Addressing his fourth meeting, his first on the second day of his electioneering, in Kalaburgi, Mr Modi touched upon the patriotic sentiments of the people and chidded the Congress and its leaders for dishonouring those who fought for the country.
He said ''forgetting the national heroes, patriots and history is the nature of a family in the Congress. (Jawaharlal) Nehru and V K Krishna Menon insulted General (KS) Thimayya, who had to resign. They neglected General (K M) Cariappa," even as he sought to
connect with the voters of the home state of the two legends of the Army.
He also said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi "disrespected" the national song 'vande mataram'.Invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Prime Minister said the independent India's first home minister, was instrumental in forcingthe Nizam of Hyderabad, who controlled the region where Kalaburagi is located, to accede to the country. "But one family in the Congress
loses its sleep whenever Sardar Patel's name crops up," he said.
Seeking to appeal to patriotic sentiments of voters, the prime minister raked up the issue of cross-LoC surgical strikes, claiming that the Congress questioned the genuineness of the assault by the Indian Army. "They (Congress) sought proof about the genuineness of the surgical strike. Bodies of Pakistani soldiers were carried on trucks, a newspaper said that...and they need proof. Should our soldiers go on such operations with a camera or a gun?" he said.
The prime minister said a Congress leader even called the Army chief a "goonda" (gangster) after the surgical strike, he said .
I will never indulge in attacking Prime Minister personally: Rahul Gandhi
Aurad: Congress President Rahul Gandhi today stressed that he will never launch a personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he was the head of the State.Responding to the personal attacks Mr Modi had been making against him, Mr Gandhi who began a two day campaign in the state in this northern tip of Karnataka alleged that
wherever Mr Modi spoke in Karnataka,
he made it a point to attack him personally. " But I will never attack him personally'' he said adding ''Mr Modi should understand that he is Prime Minister of this country and not of BJP''. Whenever. He spoke he should spell out his plans to solve the problems including employment for youth, eradicating corruption and other burning issues and not indulge in personally attacking somebody."
Referring to the saying of 12th century saint and social reformer Basavanna,"Nudidante Nade' (Do what you preach) Mr Gandhi said that Prime Minister should implement what he assures. But he has failed to keep up his promise of creating jobs to the youth after coming to power, he has failed to come to the rescue of farmers of Karnataka who struggled during three years of severe drought condition. He never spoke a word about waiving off their farm loans taken from nationalised Banks.
Alleging that Mr Modi was not interested in protecting the interests of the farmers, Mr Gandhi said that "despite of my appeal to him (Mr Modi) to waive off Karnataka farmers loan since they are suffering due to severe drought, he did not utter a single word. But he waived off Rs 2,45,000 crore loan of 15 Industrialists and least bothered to come to the rescue of Karnataka (UNI)
