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Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the controversial movie, The Kerala Story, at an election rally in Karnataka’s Ballari city on Friday and accused the Congress of having a “backdoor understanding with terror groups”. He also said that the Congress’s “situation” ahead of the state’s May 10 elections was “so bad” that the party was “taking issue” with him “chanting Jai Bajrang Bali’.
“There was a lot of discussion about The Kerala Story, which discusses ploys to make the country hollow from within. They say the movie is based on the terrorist plots in just one state…such a beautiful state where people are hard working and talented. The Kerala Story has exposed the terror conspiracies. But look at the misfortune of the country. The Congress today is standing with such terror elements that have destroyed the nation. The Congress has a backdoor understanding with them. People of the state should be wary of the Congress…It has surrendered in front of terrorists to appease its vote bank,” Modi said.
Speaking of the eviction process of citizens from war-hit Sudan, Modi said: “We brought back our Indian brothers and sisters from areas where even an aircraft could not land. Yet, in such challenging times, the Congress did not stand with the country.”
The PM said this was done to “jeopardise the operation and thereby reap electoral dividends in Karnataka”. “But they forgot that Modi is here. That this Modi will cross all limits if our citizens are in danger,” he said.
The PM also accused the Congress of “corrupting politics in the state”, using “money power” and “its ecosystem” to win the elections.
While the BJP manifesto set a roadmap to make Karnataka “number one” state in the country, the Congress’s manifesto was a document of appeasement and “thaalabandi(lockout)”, he alleged. “Their manifesto says that we will stop this, repeal that…. This is their focus,” he said.
“Now, their situation is so bad, their legs are shaking. So, the Congress is taking issue with me chanting Jai Bajrang Bali,” Modi added.
Addressing a public meeting in Tumakuru later in the day, Modi also lashed out at the Janata Dal (Secular).
Every vote to JD(S), Modi said, would ensure a “weak, unstable government” in Karnataka.
“The track record of Congress and JD(S) is that they loot the highest amount of funds meant for the welfare of rural areas. But under BJP, rural areas and the poor have witnessed rapid progress,” Modi said.
He also predicted a thumping victory for the BJP in Karnataka, saying that the crowd that turned out at the event was proof.
Criticising Congress leaders for allegedly misleading employees of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has a helicopter factory in Tumkuru, Modi said: “Remember the lies they had spread four to five years ago. They tried to mislead the HAL workers. It was done at a time when our Army was deployed on the border. In this election, the Congress leaders are not at all spelling out the name of HAL.”
“For Congress, defence sector was a club where maternal uncles, paternal uncles and close relatives could plunder the nation. This was Congress’ 85 per cent commission government that had ruined the HAL,” he alleged.
Criticising the Congress’ poll manifesto which promised to scrap the National Education Policy, the PM said the party had become an “enemy of rural children”.
