Hubballi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck out at Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy here on Thursday, claiming he had instructed JD(S) workers not to raise the issue of the Balakot airstrike during the campaign for the Lok Sabha poll, fearing it may dent his votebank in the state.
Addressing an election rally here, Mr Modi alleged that Congress leaders in the state seemed to be hurt although the attack was made on Pakistan and terrorists were killed in the neighbouring country.
“Is the Congress' votebank in Balakot or Bagalkot?" he demanded, adding, “The airstrike caused pain to the neighbouring country. But Congress leaders here shed tears. They have not accepted it as our victory. They also announced that Balakot was not part of Pakistan and projected me as a liar. The Congress and JD(S) should clarify whether their votebank is in Balakot or Bagalkot.”
He also accused the Congress of backing the idea of having a separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on similar lines at a rally in Chikkodi , Belagavi district, the Prime Minister claimed the Congress and JD(S) only agreed upon justifying dynastic politics and corruption. Accusing the two parties of focusing on criticising nationalism, he said Mr Kumaraswamy had insulted the poor and middle class by saying that only those who couldn't afford two square meals joined the Indian Army. "Such people should be removed from the public life," he thundered.
Meanwhile, in Hubballi he drew attention to the unhappiness among the Lingayats over attempts to divide them and charged that the Congress could go to any lengths to win votes. "The coalition partners, the Congress and JD(S), are more interested in votebank politics than in the nation's welfare," he maintained, advising people to be cautious about their "divisive politics."
“The Congress is trying to divide the Lingayat community and spreads poison in society whenever it is in distress. A Congress minister has already admitted that his party had hatched a conspiracy to convert Lingyats into its votebank," he said.
“I have come before you again with Karnataka's development agenda after falling short of a few Assembly seats to form the government in the state. If you want a 'mazboor sarkar' look to Bengaluru, or else look to Delhi for a 'mazbooth sarkar,” he added.
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