Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘nalayak’ (useless), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asked voters in Kolar if they should vote for such a person.
“Does it take Mr. Modi only to suggest to youth to sell pakodas? He made youth believe by promising two crore jobs. When jobs were sought after graduation, he asked the youth to sell pakoda. He has betrayed the faith of the youth. The educated youth have decided that the Prime Minister Modi is a nalayak,” the Chief Minister said at the election rally in Sidlaghatta to seek votes for Congress candidate K.V. Gowtham in Kolar Lok Sabha constituency.
Incidentally, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyanka Kharge’s “nalayak” jibe at the Prime Minister had kicked up a row during the State Assembly elections last year. Mr. Siddaramaiah had then defended Mr. Kharge, who is the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“What was the cost of petrol, diesel, gas, fertilizer, pulses, and cooking oil before the nalayak Modi came to power? Without doing anything for 10 years, they are seeking votes. Do they have qualification to seek votes? All that you got in 10 years of Mr. Modi’s rule were lies and betrayal,” he said, adding that on the other the Congress had fulfilled the promises, with each family now getting ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 a month.
Attacks Deve Gowda
Earlier, during the campaign at Bangarapet, which also comes under the Kolar Lok Sabha constituency, the Chief Minister attacked former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda for supporting Mr. Modi.
“Mr. Gowda and Mr. Modi have lied. If chembu (a small vessel in Kannada, a slang implying emptiness) looks to you like Akshaya Patre (inexhaustible vessel), why did the State not get its share of taxes? Why did drought relief not come? Why did the State not receive funds during floods? If the chembu looks like Akshaya Patre, why is it farmers’ loans are not being waived or higher minimum support prices not being paid to farmers?”
Mr. Siddaramaiah said: “Mr. Deve Gowda... the chembu of Mr. Modi waived lakhs of crores of loans of the rich while it is an empty vessel for the common man. If you see it as Akshaya Patre, then set right the losses and injustice to the State from the 15th Finance Commission.”
