Hubballi: Congress trying to throttle democracy, says Amit Shah

Hubballi: Once again accusing the Congress of playing divisive politics in Karnataka, BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday claimed it had made similar attempts in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana too.

Addressing a public meeting as part of the closing ceremony of the “fistful of rice” campaign at Abbigeri in Ron taluk, the  BJP president said,  “The Congress is hatching a conspiracy to divide  society on the basis of caste in Karnataka after making similar attempts  in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana. 

When it conducted a caste census, we thought  the party was planning to fight elections on caste calculations. But it is instead trying to hold the nation captive through creating a feeling of hatred and dividing society based on caste. Rahul Gandhi should realise that the people are  aware of Congress’ tactics.”   

Describing the state government as an “ATM” of corruption for the party, he said the BJP would “close it” once it came to power in the state. Also, claiming that the state government was doing nothing although over 3,500 debt-ridden farmers had ended their lives in recent years, he said farmers’ suicides had on the other hand fallen in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states.

Accusing the Congress of trying to throttle democracy by stalling the Budget session of parliament,  he said, “The Congress cannot save  democracy as there is a lack of internal democracy within it. Rahul Gandhi does not believe in a democratic system. His family has kept the party captive in -house since the period of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi.”  

Mr  Shah also visited the Dharwad Murugha Math,  which is keen on a minority tag for Lingayats and received a memorandum from its head Mallikarjun Swamiji to grant the community its request. Meanwhile, state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa,in his speech called Mr Rahul Gandhi’s aspiration to become Prime Minister a ‘beggar’s dream.”