Chitradurga: Giving a religious tone probably for the first time to his ongoing poll blitzkrieg across Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flayed the Siddaramaiah government for celebrating the “jayantis of Sultans” for the sake of “vote bank politics”.
The PM was apparently referring to the Siddaramaiah government’s decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti every year to commemorate the memory of the 18th century ruler of Mysore whose role in history had become controversial with the BJP and right-wing outfits describing him as a religious bigot.
Addressing an election rally in Chitradurga, Mr Modi said, “Look at the Congress character. They need to know whose jayanti needs to be celebrated with respect and from whom we have to draw inspiration. Veera Madakari and Onake Obavva are forgotten, but for the sake of vote bank politics, they are celebrating the jayantis of Sultans."
A Dalit woman, Onake Obavva was the legendary wife of a soldier in the army of Madakari Nayaka, the last ruler of Chitrdurga. She is said to have fought single handedly and killed with a pestle several invading soldiers of the army of Hyder Ali, father of Tipu, in 1779. She was killed by Hyder Ali’s soldiers in her valiant effort to protect the fort where her husband was guarding a watch tower.
“By celebrating this jayanti, the Congress has insulted people of Karnataka and Chitradurga. They have played with sentiments of people of Chitradurga,” Modi said.
“Now they (Congress) cannot survive. For 70 years they have misled and befooled the people,” Modi said.
CM chides Modi for ‘low-level’ talks
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to hurl barbs such as “seedha rupaiah sarkar” to target him, Karnataka Chief Min-ister Siddaramaiah on Sunday lashed out at him for making “personal attacks” and speaking at a “low level”.
The prime minister was using a language that did not befit the office he held, the Congress leader said, taking exception to Mr Modi calling his dispensation a “10 per cent government” and “seedha rupaiah sarkar” while attacking him over alleged corruption.
Mr Siddaramaiah also mocked the Karnataka BJP, saying it solely depended on Mr Modi as regards the Assembly polls as it had no leader with a “face value”.
