India
pti-PTI
In
a
blistering
attack
on
the
Congress
during
his
last
campaign
rally
ahead
of
May
10
Assembly
polls,
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
on
Sunday
accused
the
party
of
openly
advocating
for
“separating”
Karnataka
from
India.
The
Prime
Minister’s
charge
comes
a
day
after
former
Congress
chief
Sonia
Gandhi
addressed
a
campaign
rally
at
Hubballi
on
Saturday.
The
Congress
referring
to
her
speech
in
a
tweet
said
Gandhi,
who
is
the
Congress
Parliamentary
Party
Chairperson,
“sends
a
strong
message
to
6.5
crore
Kannadigas”.
It
also
posted
pictures
of
Gandhi
speaking
at
the
public
meeting.
“The
Congress
will
not
allow
anyone
to
pose
a
threat
to
Karnataka’s
reputation,
sovereignty
or
integrity”,
the
tweet
read.
Modi,
apparently
referring
to
this,
alleged
that
the
disease
of
the
‘tukde-tukde
gang’
(anti-national
elements)
has
reached
the
Congress’ top
level.
Winding
up
campaigning
for
the
high-stakes
election,
the
Prime
Minister
today
held
a
roadshow
in
Bengaluru
and
addressed
two
public
rallies
at
Shivamogga
and
Nanjanagudu
in
Mysuru
district.
“When
it
comes
to
working
against
India’s
interests,
Congress’
royal
family
will
be
at
the
forefront.
I
want
to
speak
about
a
serious
issue
here.
I
want
to
say
it
as
there
is
a
lot
of
pain
in
my
heart.
This
country
can
never
forgive
such
a
game.
This
family,
to
influence
the
politics
in
the
country,
is
encouraging
foreign
forces
to
interfere,” Modi
said.
Addressing
the
public
meeting
at
Nanjanagudu
in
Mysuru
district,
he
accused
them
of
secretly
meeting
foreign
diplomats
who
hate
India,
repeatedly
indulging
in
activities
that
insult
the
nation’s
sovereignty
and
said
they
are
not
ashamed
of
it.
Stating
that
in
this
Karnataka
election,
Congress’
‘shahi
parivar’
(royal
family)
has
gone
a
step
ahead
by
“breaking
all
the
limits
and
crushing
the
feelings
of
the
country”,
Modi
said:
“Not
only
Karnataka,
I
want
to
tell
this
to
the
entire
country
with
lot
of
pain
that
in
this
election
Congress’
royal
family
yesterday
came
to
Karnataka
and
said
they
want
to
protect
the
sovereignty
of
Karnataka.”
“Karnataka’s
sovereignty,
you
know
what
is
the
meaning
of
it?
They
have
sat
in
Parliament
for
so
many
years,
they
have
taken
oath
on
India’s
Constitution,
and
they
say
this.
When
a
country
becomes
independent,
only
then
that
country
is
called
a
sovereign
nation.
The
meaning
of
what
Congress
is
saying
is
that
the
Congress
believes
that
Karnataka
is
separate
from
India,”
he
said.
Asking
people
whether
they
approve
it
and
whether
they
will
punish
Congress
for
making
such
a
statement,
the
Prime
Minister
said
it
means
Congress
is
openly
advocating
about
“separating”
Karnataka
from
India.
“I
had
never
thought
that
the
disease
of
the
‘tukde-tukde
gang’ would
reach
the
Congress’
top
level,”
he
said,
accusing
the
party
of
insulting
Kannada
fighters
who
fought
for
India’s
independence
and
insulting
the
patriotism
of
crores
of
Kannadigas.
Noting
that
this
is
the
land
where
‘Rashtra
Kavi’
Kuvempu
had
said
Karnataka
is
an
integral
part
of
India
with
lines
in
the
state
anthem
—
‘Jaya
Bharata
Jananiya
Tanujate
Jaya
he
Karnataka
Maate’,
Modi
said:
“For
every
Kannadiga,
Karnataka
is
a
mother
and
she
has
been
described
as
the
daughter
of
‘Bharat
Ma’.
I
can
feel
the
feelings
of
Kannadigas.”
Insulting
the
sentiments
of
Karnataka
is
like
demeaning
the
“culture
and
pride” of
the
state,
he
added.
Further
accusing
Congress
of
creating
rift
between
states
and
spreading
communal
fire,
the
Prime
Minister
said
whenever
they
did
such
things,
people
of
India
united
to
defeat
them.
Congress
wants
to
“somehow
come
to
power
in
Karnataka”
to
get
“political
oxygen”,
he
said,
adding
that
“people
here
can
never
forgive
them
for
this
sin…
Congress
will
get
the
response
for
this
on
May
10
with
full
strength.”
He
urged
the
people
to
vote
for
BJP
to
make
Karnataka
number
one
among
states.
Stating
that
he
was
visiting
the
famous
Srikanteshwara
temple
here,
which
is
dedicated
to
Lord
Shiva
connected
to
the
mythological
context
of
‘Vishapaan’
(Shiva
drinking
venom),
after
the
rally,
Modi
said,
“The
way
Congress
abused
me
in
Karnataka
and
poured
venom
on
me,
Lord
Srikanteshwara
gave
me
the
strength
to
bear
it.”
Thanking
people
for
the
blessings
and
affection
towards
him
during
campaigning
in
Karnataka,
calling
it
his
biggest
asset,
he
said
this
is
my
last
programme
in
this
election
campaign
and
after
this
he
will
leave
for
Delhi.
“I’m
ending
my
campaign
here.
Now,
you
take
the
baton,” he
said
urging
the
people
to
come
out
and
exercise
their
franchise
on
May
10.
After
the
meeting,
Modi
visited
the
Srikanteshwara
temple
in
the
district.
Earlier
this
morning,
the
Prime
Minister
took
part
in
an
eight
kilometre
roadshow
in
Bengaluru,
campaigning
for
the
BJP.
The
roadshow
from
Kempegowda
statue
at
New
Thippasandra
Road
to
Trinity
Circle
was
covered
in
about
one-and-half
hours.
Beginning
with
Modi
paying
floral
tributes
to
the
statue
of
Kempegowda
(founder
of
Bengaluru),
the
open
top
vehicle
passed
through
parts
of
east
and
central
Bengaluru
touching
about
half-a-dozen
Assembly
segments.
Later
addressing
a
public
rally
in
Shivamogga,
Modi
took
a
dig
at
Congress
by
stating
that
the
“scared”
party
brought
in
Sonia
Gandhi
for
campaigning
in
the
election
after
its
“lies
did
not
work”.
Without
mentioning
the
name
of
the
former
Congress
chief,
Modi
told
the
audience
at
the
election
rally
here:
“Now,
the
Congress
is
so
afraid
and
scared
that
when
their
lies
did
not
work,
then
those
who
are
not
taking
part
in
campaigning
are
being
brought
here.
The
Congress
has
started
dumping
the
responsibility
of
defeat
on
each
other”.
Gandhi,
who
largely
stayed
away
from
campaigning
and
public
rallies
since
the
2019
Lok
Sabha
polls
reportedly
due
to
health
reasons,
addressed
her
first
election
meeting
in
Karnataka,
which
votes
on
May
10,
at
Hubballi
on
Saturday.