‘Will fight Karnataka polls under BSY leadership’

Corruption, appeasement/vote-bank politics and political killings will be the BJP’s main points of attack against the ruling Congress in the run-up to the State elections, said party President Amit Shah on Monday.

At the end of his three-day tour of Karnataka, the BJP President said he was here to strengthen and energise the party ahead of assembly elections which is scheduled early 2018. “Time and again, it has been proved in public that Congress-led Siddaramaiah government is the most corrupt.”

“Most of the ministers have indulged in corruption or have got involved in scams. So far, no action has been taken against them nor an enquiry has been ordered,” he added.

In spite of several raids and arrests, the Congress party does not even punish wrongdoers fearing it would expose the government, Shah further added.

To a question whether, the assembly elections will be fought between Prime Minister Narendra Modi vs Siddaramaiah or BJP State President BS Yedyurappa vs Siddaramaiah, Amit Shah said: “We have declared Yedyurappa as CM Candidate. We will fight under his leadership. But at the same time, Modi is the Prime Minister. The Central government has done lot of good things to Karnataka.”

Directly targeting State government, Amit Shah accused Siddaramaiah of hiding the facts of Government of India’s (GoI) fund and grants flow to the State. Under UPA rule, Karnataka got ₹61,691 crore from the GoI, but under the 14th Finance Commission, Centre gave ₹186, 975 crore to the State, Shah maintained.

“Karnataka had got additional ₹125,284 crore as various grants that has not been utilised properly. Where has the money gone?,” he asked.

Talking about appeasement, Shah said Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has created an atmosphere of appeasement. “To appease vote banks, fake schemes has been initiated which has drained the resources.” He was referring to various Bhagya schemes initiated by the Congress party such as the Krishi Bhagya, Anila Bhagya, Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya.

Why didn’t the Congress Member of Parliaments in Rajya Sabha approve or vote for the OBC Commission Bill 2017, he questioned. “ Had they been really interested in uplifting the most downtrodden (OBCs) they would have supported the Bill. This shows Congress people are just hypocrites,” he said.

Law and order in the State has deteriorated, said Shah. “In the last four years, we have seen 20 people killed in the State. These are all political killings.”

“Why is the State government withdrawing cases related to SDPI? Is it not appeasement to play vote bank politics?”

Shah dismissed the Congress’ call for resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the death of scores of children in a Gorakhpur hospital, saying such incidents had happened during the Congress rule also. “It is natural for Congress to ask for Yogiji’s resignation. This is not the first time such an incident has taken place...they have taken place during Congress rule, in many States.”

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