Setting the tempo for the Assembly elections in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress of indulging in “lollipop and divisive politics”, in an obvious reference to the Congress government recommending religious minority status for Lingayat community ahead of the elections.
During an interaction with BJP office-bearers and candidates through his mobile app, Mr. Modi said, “Some people have the habit of holding lollipops for some communities during the election time. They pick up a community during every election to make false promises. But after the elections, they are forgotten and the communities are dumped.”
The Prime Minister accused the Congress of spreading lies as well as resorting to propaganda after the series of poll debacles.
He alleged that the Congress had hired a foreign agency to facilitate spreading of lies. He asked the BJP cadre to fight the alleged lies and propaganda of the Congress and go to the polls with “facts, development agenda and the organisational strength”.
Interestingly, though the party State unit has been focussing on Hindutva agenda, the Prime Minister spoke of development agenda. He said the BJP had a three-point agenda — development, fast-paced development, and all-round development.
Alleging that the mainstream of India’s political culture was marked by the Congress’ misdeeds, he called upon people to cleanse the Indian politics by liberating the mainstream from the Congress culture.
Sandalwood
Referring to the different methods in which the State farming sector could be revived, he said Karnataka should focus on rejuvenating its sandalwood cultivation. He observed that Australia had taken the sandalwood species from Karnataka and made it big in that sector.
He also stressed the need for promoting solar-powered irrigation pump sets and making value addition to crops to ensure remunerative prices.
‘Hung Assembly debate is a propaganda’
Mr. Modi on Thursday alleged that those seeking good for the Congress and also seeking good from the Congress had triggered a “false propaganda” of hung Assembly scenario in Karnataka.
“Though it is clear that people of Karnataka have made up their mind to effect a change and the Congress is bound to lose the elections, these people have begun a debate on hung Assembly and say that no party would get majority,” Mr. Modi said.
He appealed to the people of Karnataka to provide a full mandate to the BJP to help change the fortunes of the State.
On Bengaluru
Mr. Modi said Bengaluru belonged to not just Karnataka, but represented the entire country.
“The world looks at Bengaluru with hope. Bengaluru is a city that helps the country go forward. The Centre is committed to the development of Bengaluru,” he said. He stressed the need for evolving plans with a vision for 20 years to gear up the city infrastructure.
