Will you announce a Dalit as CM, Congress asks Modi

The ruling Congress came up with a sharp counter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on appointing a Dalit as chief minister, and development of Bengaluru.

During a speech in Ballari, Modi had accused the Congress of being anti-Dalit and that the senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, was deprived of the chance to become chief minister.

KPCC president G Parameshwara dared Modi to announce a Dalit as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate. “I’m sure the BJP has Dalit leaders such as Govind Karjol. If the party is so confident of winning, will it appoint a Dalit as CM?” he told reporters.

The BJP’s chief ministerial face is B S Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat. “The Congress has treated Dalits with good opportunities. We made Kharge leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha,” he added.

Parameshwara, also a Dalit, questioned Modi’s commitment towards Dalit upliftment by saying that the BJP was trying to dilute the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Accusing Modi of repeatedly lying, Parameshwara said Karnataka would not see a hung Assembly. “I’m saying this with 30 years of political experience, the Congress will come back to power with a majority. The government’s achievements have reached people.”

‘Insult to Bengalureans’

At Kengeri on Thursday, Modi charged that the Siddaramaiah government had tarnished Bengaluru’s image. “Modi has insulted 1.2 crore Bengalureans by calling it garbage city,
sin city and crime capital,” former Union minister Manish Tewari said.

He said not a single Karnataka city figured on the list of 15 most-polluted world cities, of which 14 are in India. “This includes PM’s own constituency — Varanasi,” he said.

“The BJP and the JD(S) in their stint at the BBMP completely denigrated the city’s urban infrastructure. Yeddyurappa destroyed new residential layouts by denotifying lands and earning personal profits.”