Cong, its leaders hurled different types of abuses at me 91 times: PM

Humnabad/ Vijayapura/ Kudachi: Training guns on the Congress over its president M Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘venomous snake’ barb at him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the party and its leaders have hurled at him different types of abuses 91 times till now.

Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister further said the grand old party had even abused Babasaheb Ambedkar and were engaged in abusing Veer Savarkar, and people will respond to their abuses with votes. Modi — on his first visit to the State for campaigning after elections were declared on March 29 — gave a new slogan ‘Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara’ (This time’s decision; majority BJP government) for the party, as he stressed on the party coming back to power with a full majority.

Modi’s stress on BJP getting a clear mandate in May 10 Assembly polls is significant, as the party had not got majority both in 2008 and 2018, when it emerged as the single largest party, and had to form government with the backing of MLAs from opposition ranks who switched loyalty to it and Independents. The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. “Contress’s hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me.” Addressing a public rally at Humnabad in Bidar district, he said: “Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now, Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types. Had Congress people put efforts in good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, Congress would not have been in such a pathetic plight.”

Making a speech in a campaign rally in Karnataka on Thursday, Kharge likened Modi to a venomous snake. As a row erupted, he later backtracked stating that his intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings and the “statement was not for PM Modi, but for the ideology he represents.”

Modi said: “Insulting those who work for the poor and the country is Congress’ history”.

Later, speaking at a rally in Kudachi in Belagavi district, the Prime Minister expressed confidence about the party coming back to power with a full majority. He said this was his third rally on the first day of his campaigning in the State after the election was declared, and it looks like people of Karnataka have decided to bring in a strong and stable BJP government in Karnataka.

“Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara- can be heard everywhere... Lotus is the sign of Karnataka’s progress, only BJP has the roadmap for development,” he further said.

Reminding former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy as the head of Congress-JD(S) coalition government had admitted that he was functioning at the “mercy of Congress”, he said, “That fear of saving the seat or power, won’t allow them to do anything for you.”