Support BJP for a better future, he says at Kalaburagi rally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday maintained that the Congress government had wasted its opportunity and ‘ruined’ the State during its five-year rule in Karnataka, and appealed to the voters to support the BJP for a better future for the State.

Addressing a public meeting at the Nutan Vidyalaya Grounds in Kalaburagi, Mr. Modi asserted that this election was not merely for changing the Congress government in office, it is for determining the new future of youth, farmers, and women. For the first time after independence, there is a new hope in the BJP. “You have seen how the Congress has been defeated in all four corners of the country, we have seen the State being ruined for five years and we will not allow the State to be ruined further,” he said.

On the voting day, the people of the State should keep the better future of Karnataka in mind and vote for the BJP, he said.

Recalling political history, Mr. Modi said the Congress, whose interest was only to extol the contributions of “one family”, had insulted martyrs who fought for freedom and also soldiers who laid down their lives. “It’s Congress’ nature to disrespect martyrs and freedom fighters.”

Hailing the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the liberation of Kalaburagi, including the Hyderabad Karnataka region, from the Nizam rule, Mr. Modi remarked that the Congress will lose its “sleep” when the name of Mr. Patel is mentioned.

He said Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. Thimmaiah were ‘insulted’ by the Nehru family. “The trait of disrespecting freedom fighters and martyrs is in the veins of Congress because the party wants to eulogise only one family,” he added.

He came down heavily on Congress leaders who sought evidence of surgical strikes. “One Congress leader even went to the extent of calling our current Army Chief a goonda. Do we need such a party?” Mr. Modi asked the people.

Pat for farmers

Applauding the farmers of Kalaburagi district for growing high-quality redgram, Mr. Modi pulled up the State government for being insensitive to the problems of farmers and not getting them the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The Prime Minister accused the ruling Congress in the State of sitting on the Swaminathan Commission recommendation to increase the MSP. “The Congress had kept it in a locker, we pulled it out. It’s not expected of them to accept this sin but they can at least keep quiet when our government has approved its implementation,” Mr. Modi remarked.

Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Mr. Modi said that BJP government is committed to the welfare of the farmers. Nearly 14 lakh farmers in the State got benefits from the PMFBY scheme, he added.

Mr. Modi attracted the crowd by starting his speech in Kannada saying “Kalyana Karnatakada Sahodara Sahodariyare.” He also praised the land of Rashtrakutas and the 11th century legal luminary Vijnaneshwara who wrote “Mitakshara” and the 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara.