Amit Shah: Have faith in Prime Minister Modi and Yediyurappa; we will clear Karnataka of corruption.
Only a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government can help cleanse the state of corruption, claimed Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday in Bengaluru.
Shah remarked during a “Vijay Sankalp Samavesh” in Karnataka’s Ballari district, “Believe PM Modi and Yediyurappa just once, and we (the BJP) will provide you a government that will clear Karnataka of corruption and make it the leading state in South India.”
This time, the BJP will constitute the state’s administration with an absolute majority. Come with me to build a government with an absolute majority,” he continued.
Shah, accusing both the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) of pervasive corruption in the state, took aim at both parties. “We participated in the 2018 elections under the leadership of Yediyurappa. Yet we were unable to form a government, and Congress formed one using JD (S). Each vote for JD(S) will be sent to Congress. He stated that Congress and JD(S) are accountable for corruption in the state.
In 2019, the BJP returned to power in the state when the JD(S)-Congress administration lost the assembly’s vote of confidence. In 2021, Yediyurappa was replaced as chief minister by the incumbent, Basavaraj Bommai. This summer, Karnataka is slated to hold assembly elections.
This is Shah’s fourth visit in less than two months to the election-bound state. By the end of December of the previous year, he visited the state to attend events in Bengaluru and Mandya. Shah was in Belagavi at the end of January, and he was in Dakshina Kannada in February, boosting the party in coastal Karnataka.
During his public address, Shah referred to the Congress as a “tukde tukde gang” and mentioned the Ram temple, surgical strikes, and the repeal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. “Modi’s power would get greater if you vote for the BJP. Modi laid the cornerstone for the Ram mandir. “Only the BJP has the authority to travel to Pakistan and conduct a surgical strike,” Shah stated.
Kashmir belongs to us. Prime Minister Modi rescinded the special status granted to Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress opposes this. He stated that if Kashmir’s special status is abolished, there will be bloodshed. There was no bloodshed, but only calm,” remarked Shah.
He further mentioned that the Modi administration has banned the Popular Front of India (PFI). “But, when Congress rendered a decision, 1,700 lawsuits against the PFI were dismissed,” he continued.
The Union minister brought up the alleged infighting inside the Karnataka Congress for the job of chief minister and stated, “There is only one position, and CM Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are competing for it.” This conflict will not benefit the state’s citizens. If Karnataka is to prosper, only a BJP-led state government will do; only then will the state grow.”
Several times prior to the elections, senior Congress leaders Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah backed themselves as the next chief minister of Karnataka, sparking rumours of political rivalry inside the party.
“Siddaramaiah’s administration is an ATM government. There are members of the “ATM government” in Delhi. “Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, the Congress is divided,” he stated.
Later in the day, Shah spoke at a conference in Bengaluru on the topic of “Indian Politics-65 Years of Scenario and Paradigm Change Under Modi.” “The Congress party, which played a significant role in India’s independence, is immersed in dynastic politics. No internal democracy exists. “All socialist parties have gradually evolved into casteist and then dynasty parties,” stated Shah.
Noting that there is a great deal of misconception about the BJP’s ideology, Shah stated, “The BJP’s first pillar is cultural nationalism. Except for India, all other nations are geo-political, whereas our nation is geo-cultural.”
Formerly, there was policy paralysis. There was rampant corruption, crony capitalism, sky-high inflation, and India’s international rating was at an all-time low,” said Shah, adding that there has been a paradigm shift since the BJP came to office.
In response to Shah’s comments, Congress leader BK Hariprasad asserted that the BJP was attempting to distract the public’s attention because it has done nothing for the state. “The home secretary is, de facto, the prime minister. During Covid-19, he was completely absent. They were nowhere to be found during the floods in northern Karnataka and Coorg, according to the opposition leader in the Karnataka legislative council. “The corruption is not committed by the Congress party… They were given four years. If they have done something positive for the people, they should let the public know.”
In a further attack on the BJP, the Congress leader stated, “BJP leader Pragya Thakur urges people to sharpen their knives and keep them at home. Does she wish to transform youngsters into terrorists? We do not want what is happening in Kashmir; we will examine this at the upcoming elections for the Parliament. If he (Shah) claims that Kashmir is at peace, why do BJP leaders only travel there with security? They merely wish to shift attention from the fact that they have done nothing for Karnataka. If our government is an ATM, theirs is a stock exchange.”
During the ceremony, Shah also enumerated many development projects and social programmes initiated and carried out by central and state governments led by the BJP. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Modi administration provided free vaccinations to all citizens. By providing free vaccines and food, our government has ensured that the poor do not suffer throughout the pandemic, he stated.
After the public meeting, Shah, along with Yediyurappa, met with the leaders and ticket hopefuls of four districts in the Bellary division, according to sources acquainted with the matter.
