JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi has dubbed the Lok Sabha elections as a fight between “nationalism” and “dynasty.”
“The election is between nation first or family first. In Karnataka Congress and JD(S) are signs of Parivarwad. Both parties that have lost touch with the people are that much connected to their families...Their only mission is commission,” Modi said.
The prime minister was addressing a BJP convention in Gangavathi of Koppal district, seeking votes for Bellary, Koppal and Raichur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Calling upon people to teach a befitting lesson to Opposition parties which have exploited the citizens of the country for their self-serving motives, Modi said Congress feels uncomfortable when not in power.
“When there was Congress government, there was Mr 10 per cent. Do you remember Mr 10 per cent? Now they have joined together 10 per cent is theirs and other 10 per cent of others. Now Karnataka is going on with 20 per cent,” he said. In his campaign during the May 2018 Assembly polls, Modi had attacked the then Siddaramaiah dispensation as a “10 per cent commission” government.
He lashed out at the Deve Gowda family, targeting the JDS supremo’s son Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy over his reported remark that only those who cannot get two square meals a day seek jobs in the services, terming it an ‘insult’ to the Armed Forces.
“What kind of thinking is thisKumaraswamy ji? You cannot escape by saying that your statement has been wrongly interpreted. You have said what is in your heart,” Modi said. “...is it not an insult to our brave soldiers and Armed Forces...will you seek vote on this? Those who serve the country and ready to sacrifice for it facing all odds...Such words for them, such thinking. Doob maro doob maro (die drowning), those who insult the country’s army,” he said.
Modi also hit out at Gowda’s other son and minister H D Revanna, without naming him, for his remark that he would retire from politics if Modi was voted back to power.
“Do you believe them? Will these people speak the truth any time?” He reminded the crowd that in the 2014 elections, Deve Gowda had himself said that if Modi won and became the prime minister, he would take “sanyas”. “Did he take sanyas? Did father (Deve Gowda) take sanyas? Will son take sanyas? Leave sanyas, they aregiving tickets to those remaining in the family.”
He said that state government had money for Sultan’s (Tipu Sultan) Utsav but was short of funds for remembering the pride of Hampi.
Modi stopped his speech four or five times as the crowds continued to swell and surged forward chanting “Modi, Modi.”