Amit Shah flays Congress for being 'anti-Hindu'

The BJP on Wednesday mounted an attack on the ruling Congress, with party chief Amit Shah coming down heavily on the Siddaramaiah government for being "anti-Hindu."

"The countdown for the exit of this government has begun," Shah said, addressing a large gathering at BJP's Navakarnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra. It was Shah's first election speech outside Bengaluru.

"As many as 23 RSS and BJP workers have been killed in the last three years, but this government has failed to even launch an investigation. The moment BJP comes to power, it will ensure the culprits are behind bars," Shah said.

Life had become a struggle for Hindus under the Congress regime, he claimed. "To erect a pandal during the Ganesha festival, one has to furnish a 

Rs 10-lakh bond. The police are not allowed to sport vermilion on their forehead. Salary of temple priests has not been paid for the last four months. This government, which indulges in vote-bank politics, should be rooted out," Shah said. At this point, Shah asked the crowd, Should this government continue? A chorus screamed back "No." Shah dubbed the Congress rule "the most corrupt government."

The BJP-led Centre has sanctioned Rs 2.19 lakh crore under the 14th Finance Commission plus an additional 

Rs 79,000 crore to Karnataka, he said. "Modiji has sent you so much money. Aapko mila kya?," he asked the crowd. "The money has been eaten up by this corrupt government."

Shah recounted Siddaramaiah's Hublot watch controversy, Arkavathy Layout land denotification, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya's wife allegedly taking bribe, the Bengaluru steel flyover row, the I-T raid on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, the Solar power project, the Malaprabha irrigation project and said even the Anna Bhagya scheme had not been spared from corruption. "I can go on, but it's a long list. It'll be a Bhagavata Saptaha," he quipped.

BJP state president and chief ministerial face B S Yeddyurappa promised that if the BJP was voted to power, the Upper Bhadra project "that the Congress government has stalled" would be completed to ensure availability of water to the entire Chitradurga district. He also promised inclusion of Hatti Golla and Kaadu Golla communities in the Scheduled Tribes list.