Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed off his high-voltage campaign for the Assembly elections in Karnataka with a roadshow in Bengaluru, and two public rallies at Aynur in Shivamogga and at Nanjangud in Mysuru district, on Sunday. He also met 49 persons from the Hakki Pikki tribe, hailing from Sadashivapura, Shivamogga district, who were recently rescued from Sudan.
With this, he addressed a total of 18 public rallies and held three roadshows in the State since April 28, when he launched his campaign.
Enthusiastic crowds
Mr. Modi started his day with a 6.2 km roadshow from New Thippasandra to Trinity Circle in Bengaluru. Despite early morning rain, thousands of people gathered on either side of the streets, some of them armed with umbrellas.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party workers, placed on either side of his vehicle, showered Mr. Modi with flowers, he was seen throwing back flowers at the people who had gathered to greet him.
Like on Saturday, many workers of the BJP had come dressed as Lord Hanuman and a group of over 200 priests chanted the Hanuman Chalisa, reportedly as a mark of protest against the Congress “promising to ban the Bajrang Dal” if they came to power.
Mr. Modi, speaking at the rally in Shivamogga, alleged that the Congress would stall the growth of the State. “The Congress has assured 10 lakh jobs in the next five years. They are promising to create 2 lakh jobs in the private sector a year. However, the BJP, which came to power only three-and-a-half years ago, created more than 13 lakh jobs. Hence, I am telling you the Congress will take the State’s growth in the reverse direction,” he claimed.
Speaking at the last rally in Nanjangud, he alleged that whenever the Congress came to power, “terrorists and criminals become emboldened.” “Foreign investment for industrial and economic growth will come to the State only when law and order is good. Only the BJP government can ensure a good law and order situation,” he claimed.
On ‘first family of Congress’
He accused the “first family of the Congress” of trying to “separate Karnataka from the rest of India” and this was an insult to the patriotism of Kannadigas. He said the Congress on Saturday promised to “protect the sovereignty of Karnataka” and claimed this meant “they did not believe that Karnataka was not a part of India.”
