‘If Congress wins, Karnataka will have goonda raj, Islamisation': Tejasvi Surya on upcoming elections

BJP Yuva Morcha national president Tejasvi Surya claimed on Wednesday that Karnataka will have “goonda raj, mafia raj, Islamisation and terror situation” if the Congress comes to power.

Addressing a news conference, Surya attacked the Congress’ manifesto that promises “decisive action including a ban” on organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the PFI.

“Bajrang Dal is a cultural and nationalist organisation, unlike the PFI which is a terror organisation. Dal is the first line of defence of the Hindu community in many parts of Karnataka's coastal districts. By calling for a ban on it, they have insulted Hindus and Hanuman devotees,” Surya, the Bangalore South MP, said.

Surya said the BJP leaders are objecting to "false equivalence" between PFI and the Bajrang Dal. "We do not support moral policing. But to give a comparison here, Bajrang Dal is accused of moral policing while the PFI is accused of waging war against the state. Can these two be equated?" he asked.

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Terming the Congress manifesto as "anti-Hindu", Surya said the party, if voted to power, wants to scrap the anti-conversion law and the anti-cow slaughter law. “They will bring back PFI goons who will walk free on the streets. The Congress will destabilise peace in Karnataka,” he charged.

He further lashed out at the Congress manifesto for "lies" and "hypocrisy."

“Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the one who brought in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and made the Lokayukta toothless. The party has now promised to empower Lokayukta, which is laughable. With the CM himself chairing it, ACB was working like the Congress’ laundry machine,” Surya said.

“The Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee the valley during Rajiv Gandhi's regime. The Congress now wants to start a cultural centre for Kashmiri Pandits,” Surya said.

On the Mahadayi drinking water project, Surya said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was against allocation of water to Karnataka. “Now, the party has promised to complete the Mahadayi project,” he said.

The Congress’ manifesto has promised regularisation of Pourakarmikas, which has also been done by the BJP, Surya pointed out. “The Congress has done a cut-and-paste job without taking its own manifesto seriously,” he said.