Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi: First heal BJP states

KALABURAGI: Asserting that Karnataka was far better off than BJP ruled states in so far as law and order and  governance is concerned, AICC President Rahul Gandhi advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to deliver a "discourse" on these subjects to people of Karnataka.

Addressing a big gathering of Congress workers at Jewargi near here on Monday as part of his 'Janashirvad Yatre,' Mr Gandhi said: “Violence is rampant In Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the BJP is in power. The BJP is creating enmity between communities and triggering violence among them. Dalits, minorities and other backward communities are bearing the brunt of the violence. Mr Modi, please go and see those BJP-ruled states instead of delivering a discourse to people of Karnataka.”  

The Congress president also flayed Mr Modi for neglecting the interests of farmers, while going out of the way to promote the interests of select corporate bodies. “Once I had gone to Modi's office and requested him to waive farm loans (borrowed from nationalised and scheduled banks). Mr. Modi didn't say anything. After a few days, I raised the same issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He took a decision to waive farm loans of around Rs 8,000 crore (borrowed from cooperative societies) in ten hours,” Mr Gandhi said. 

He hailed the contributions of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and former CM late Dharam Singh in the enactment of  Article 371(J) providing special status to Hyderabad-Karnataka. 

“The BJP-led NDA government had outrightly rejected the demand for Article 371(J). After the Congress-led UPA assumed power at the Centre, we did it,” he said. He added that the H-K region got additional 5000 medical and engineering seats every year, 20,000 additional jobs and Rs 4000 crore additional funds in the last three years thanks to Article 371(J).