Hassan: Attacked not so long ago by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on its home turf of Hassan, the Janata Dal (S) was on Tuesday targeted by BJP national president, Amit Shah , who was in Hassan to campaign for his party. Calling the JD(S,) a regional party, he said it was incapable of defeating the ruling Congress party single-handedly in the state.
Addressing a rally in Arkalgudu town, Mr Shah said it was only the BJP, which could throw the Congress party out of power in Karnataka and deny power to both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr Rahul Gandhi.
Responding to JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s statement that his party would not enter into an alliance with the BJP to capture power in the state, Mr Shah said his party would be able to come to power on its own steam in the May 12 poll.
On Mr Rahul Gandhi questioning the contributions of the Modi government to the country, he mockingly referred to him as “Rahul baba” and said, “We are ready to come out with the contributions we have made to the country in the last four years if Rahul baba makes public the contributions of the Congress party to the nation over four generations.”
Ridiculing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claims of being a Socialist leader, Mr Shah noted that he wore a watch that cost Rs 40 lakh. “Who gave him this watch and why? Will Siddaramaiah come out with an explanation?” he demanded.
While claiming that Mr Siddaramaiah had decided to contest from both Chamundeshwari in Mysuru and Badami in Bagalkot district as he feared being defeated in the former, he declared that he would lose in both constituencies.
“Defeat is guaranteed for Siddaramaiah in Badami. Our candidate, Sriramulu will trounce him,” he contended.
Did Amit Shah break jumbo guidelines?
BJP president Amit Shah received a jumbo of a welcome at Sharada Peeta in Sringeri on Tuesday, but he may have been inadvertently party to guidelines on cruelty to animals being thrown to the wind as elephants were made to wait in the scorching sun to receive him and on his arrival, one was even made to bless him with its trunk. A video clip of the event, available with DC shows Mr Shah with bowed head before an elephant that lifts its trunk to bless him when the guidelines on care of elephants by temples or any other private establishment ban unnatural activities such as blessing or begging by the animals.
The math has elephants Lakshmi and Gajalakshmi under its care. Not only did one of them bless Mr Shah, but both were forced to wait for him in the scorching sun, when the guidelines prohibit jumbos from being treated in this manner. A senior forest official’s agreed it was not acceptable and said he would seek a report from the math.
