BELAGAVI : “The elections to State Assembly and the election to Athani assembly constituency are two different elections. The Assembly election is for people to continue the ‘double-engine’ government in Karnataka. Whereas the Athani election is to avenge the betrayal of former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who quit BJP for his selfishness and joined the Congress party which has insulted Lord Bajrangbali,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He was speaking at a public meeting organised by BJP in Athani on Saturday. Shah said that after Savadi lost elections against Mahesh Kumthalli in Athani. “He approached us and we helped him become a MLC and also, we made him Deputy CM. Still he quit BJP. Savadi has betrayed the BJP and the trust of people,” he alleged.
Shah recalled that Savadi used to approach him, to discuss and sort-out issues in connection to Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri and other issues. “Then, he used foul language while speaking against Congress. Where has his anger against the Congress disappeared?” he questioned.
Shah said that when Congress was in power at the Centre, Goa and Karnataka, it did nothing to sort out the Mahadayi or Kalasa Banduri issues. Instead, in 2007, Sonia Gandhi had said that Congress will not allow Mahadayi water to flow in Karnataka. The Congress was later defeated in the elections, he said.
“The Modi government allowed Mahadayi water to flow in North Karnataka. Apart from it, Modi took up Upper Bhadra Irrigation project at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore, Upper Krishna project at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore and Kalasa-Banduri project at the cost of Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of farmers of Kittur - Karnataka region, he said.
Shah said that Congress assured that it will provide 6 percent reservation to Muslims. But that would be possible only by cancelling reservations of either Lingayats or SCs/STs, he said. In its manifesto, the Congress has made five poll promises or ‘guarantees’ to Karnataka. Earlier the Grand Old Party had given such guarantees in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, but got defeated in all those states. “People do not trust guarantees of Congresss. Instead they trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Shah said that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had called Modi “a poisonous snake.” But it was Modi, who had constructed houses for poor people, given drinking water, and credited a certain amount in the bank accounts of the farmers. An amount of Rs 5,700 crore will be provided for constructing 13 big lakes in Kittur-Karnataka.
CONG WILL REINSTATE PFI IF VOTED TO POWER: YOGI
Honnavar (Uttara Kannada): Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday alleged that Congress will reinstate Popular Front of India(PFI) if voted to power in Karnataka. Addressing massive road shows at Puttur and Bantwal, he said “Congress has become a barrier for development. If they come to power PFI will be reinstated and Bajrang Dal will be banned which is working to protect the Indian culture,” Yogi said.