New Delhi: Congress leaders and potential chief minister candidates Siddaramaiah and D.Ok. Shivakumar are “poster boys of corruption” in India, Union Minister of Data Know-how and BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar mentioned Monday.
The BJP is preventing laborious for one more time period in Karnataka.
As curtains fall on campaigning for the meeting polls, the minister, in an unique interview with the ThePrint’s Shanker Arnimesh, addressed a variety of matters — from the Congress’s reported promise of banning VHP youth wing Bajrang Dal, and its corruption allegations in opposition to the Basavaraj Bommai authorities, to the row over the Hindi film The Kerala Story.
Listed below are excerpts from the interview.
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SA: As campaigning ends for the Karnataka meeting elections, what suggestions are you getting from the bottom?
RC: We’ve positioned the three-and-a-half years of excellent governance earlier than the folks — each earlier than and after Covid. However the Congress desires to deflect from the problem of growth. Their technique is obvious — assault the prime minister, humiliate our chief minister and communicate one lie after one other.
They’ve made ensures and guarantees that they haven’t saved in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh. They assume folks have forgotten these unfulfilled guarantees.
They’re additionally openly utilizing vote-bank politics in Karnataka — first they tried to appease the banned Widespread Entrance of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Get together of India (SDPI, recognized to be the PFI’s political arm, not banned). That’s why they’ve promised to ban the Bajrang Dal, to please PFI. Their politics is outlined by this.
Individuals don’t like these items — our youths, ladies and farmers don’t like this model of politics. They wish to develop of their life they usually know solely Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his authorities can take them alongside on their journey.
The Congress is depressed. That’s why they’re telling lies one after one other. Yesterday, they introduced out faux audio of our MLA (Chittarpur BJP candidate Manikanta Rathod purportedly saying he would “end off the Kharge household”). Their marketing campaign’s happening whereas ours is doing very effectively.
SA: They (Congress) at the moment are saying that they’d by no means spoken about banning Bajrang Dal and that it’s the BJP that’s utilizing it for polarisation.
RC: They assume folks of Karnataka are fools and that they are often distracted. Individuals of Karnataka are very sensible. They’ll reply (Mallikarjun) Kharge, D.Ok. Shivakumar, and Siddaramaiah on 13 Could for insulting the prime minister and our chief minister. The folks will reply them.
SA: What suggestions are you getting from the bottom on the Bajrang Dal controversy? Has the problem discovered resonance on the bottom or was it the BJP’s technique to confuse the Congress marketing campaign?
RC: We don’t have something on these points. Our (plank) was at all times about growth. We’ve positioned our report card of a double-engine authorities earlier than the folks. We’ve offered what we now have performed in three-and-a-half years to the folks. It’s the Congress that has turn into shameless and brazen. In desperation, they first abused the prime minister after which they began utilizing appeasement politics as a result of they thought that our narrative of growth is touching a chord with the folks.
Our (Assam) Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has outlined the Congress manifesto in one of the best phrases. He mentioned, “It’s not a manifesto for growth. It’s a manifesto of appeasement, designed and written by SDPI and PFI.”
Their (Congress’s) three leaders publicly acknowledged that they may take away quota reservations from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to present it Muslims. They’ve not promised reservation to Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs however (promised it) solely to 1 faith. They understand it’s unconstitutional nevertheless it’s election time they usually wish to appease them, together with one organisation that’s now banned.
The Congress has been doing this for the final 65 years, dividing one neighborhood from one other. I’m saying with full confidence that on 13 Could, folks will reply to the politics of appeasement.
SA: Congress has made ‘40 per cent fee’ as its fundamental political narrative. They’ve even issued a fee card for the Bommai authorities. Will this have an effect on the BJP within the election?
RC: Theirs is a story of lies. We’ve positioned earlier than the general public a comparability between what we’ve performed in three-and-a-half years of governance versus 65 years of the Congress’s rule.
The Congress has not mentioned something about growth. They wish to distract folks by mendacity.
Individuals perceive that the Congress, which is essentially the most corrupt celebration, which has set a world file in corruption, is (sarcastically) speaking about corruption. Siddaramaiah, who calls himself socialist, wore a watch value Rs 70 lakh when he was chief minister. D.Ok. Shivakumar has extra First Data Studies and circumstances to his title than private property.
These two CM candidates have turn into poster boys of political corruption within the nation. These two poster boys of corruption are speaking about graft and but they’ve diluted the Lokayukta. That is the peak of hypocrisy.
Politically, Congress’s technique is to deflect consideration from the event agenda, whether or not it’s the Nandani concern (the Nandini versus Amul row), or abusing the prime minister. Or when Rahul Gandhi lies in regards to the banking sector.
In 2012, I offered a report card (at a press convention) that mentioned 9 company teams had cornered 90 per cent of financial property at the moment. They assume folks can’t inform a lie other than fact.
SA: Why are you promoting The Kerala Story in Karnataka? What’s its relevance there?
RC: This isn’t promoting. Two events (United Democratic Entrance and the Left Democratic Entrance) in Kerala started appeasement politics within the state. Ultimately, it turned extreme. Individuals at the moment are becoming a member of terrorist organisations. ‘Love jihad’ is going on.
There are quite a lot of similarities between Kerala and Karnataka. It’s Congress ideology that’s supporting the SDPI in Kerala and appeasing the PFI. The Congress in Kerala and Karnataka are doing the identical issues.
Kerala’s social material has been distorted. It’s our obligation to make sure there’s consciousness. It’s not linked to the election. If the story had come after the election, then, too, we might have unfold consciousness in the identical approach.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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