Modi in Bengaluru Highlights: PM says Karnataka govt called ‘10% govt’ as no work is possible without commission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Parivartana Yatre’ rally in Bengaluru on Sunday evening. Here are the highlights:

india Updated: Feb 04, 2018 18:56 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivartana Yatra in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 4, 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivartana Yatra in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 4, 2018.(Screenshot/ YouTube)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited poll-bound Karnataka at the end of BJP’s 90-day rally across the state’s districts . Elaborate security arrangements were made for the rally at Palace Grounds where at least one lakh people, including IT professionals, were expected to attend the programme.

A group of college students, donning degree robes and selling ‘pakodas’ to passers-by in a dig at Modi’s recent remarks on job creation, were whisked away by the police, hours before the PM’s rally here.

The young students sold ‘Modi Pakodas’, ‘Amit Shah Pakoda’ and ‘Dr Yeddy Pakodas’, a reference to Karnataka BJP chief Yeddyurappa, to those passing by, including the BJP workers and visitors on their way to the rally.

Named ‘Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivartana Yatre’ (journey to build a new Karnataka), the rally across 224 assembly constituencies of the state was flagged off on November 2 by BJP president Amit Shah. Assembly elections in the southern state are due in April-May.

The BJP had come to power on its own in the state for the first time in 2008, but lost to Congress in the May 2013 assembly polls.

Here are the highlights:

5.52pm: “BJP government means only development. Congress government means corruption, appeasement, and dynasty politics,” he says.

5.45pm: PM says, “Congress is trying to stall the Triple Talaq bill in Parliament. They are trying to do the same with the OBC Bill as well.”

5.41pm: Modi says, “There are serious allegations of corruption against Congress leaders. Reports are coming about them demanding commission in several projects. I have been told that Karnataka govt is being recognised as 10% government as no work is possible without 10% commission.”

5.38pm: Modi hails Indian team’s win in the U-19 World Cup. The prime minister says team coach Rahul Dravid’s work ethic is the culture of Karnataka. “Their head coach Rahul Dravid was a significant factor behind this victory and this can’t be denied. He teaches us to work honestly and live for others.”

5.35pm: PM says, “The world is discussing ‘Ease of doing business’, my government talks about ‘Ease of living’, but the Congress government of Karnataka talks of ‘Ease of doing murder’. Anyone who opposes them ends up losing their life. This is dangerous for democracy and shameful for the state government.”

5.26pm: “When facilities are provided to villages, migration to cities will go down and the mounting pressure on cities will be released,” Modi says.

“We are taking various measures and steps to make lives of poor living in remote areas easy,” he says.

5.25pm: He says, “In this budget, government has made a significant decision so that correct price of crops are given to farmers. If Yeddyurappa, son of a farmer, becomes CM of Karnataka, the projects for farmers will work at its best because Yeddurappa has the farmer’s best interest at heart.”

5.23pm: The prime minister says his government has made farmers who produce fruits and vegetables its top priority. “TOP meaning T for Tomato, O for Onions and P for Potatoes.”

5.21pm: Modi says, “During Congress regime, Karnataka got Rs 73,000 crore. However, we have provisioned Rs 2 lakh crore for it, which is 180% more than what Congress had provided.”

“My dream is that a person wearing Hawai chappal should be able to travel by air,” he says.

5.20pm: “The government has set a goal to build more than 9,000 km of National Highway across the nation this year. Under Bharatmala Pariyojana, 35,000 km of roads will be constructed with an investment of Rs 5,25,000,” the prime minister says.

5.16pm: Modi says the recent budget has solved one problem of Karnataka. “With an investment of Rs 17,000 crores, construction work of 160 km long sub-urban railway network will be started in Bengaluru. 15 lakhs commuters of the city will benefit from it,” he says.

5.12pm: PM says, “More than 1 crore loans have been sanctioned for the people of Karnataka under Mudra Yojana. Under PM Jan Dhan Yojana, more than 1.16 crore accounts were opened in Karnataka, opening doors of banking for the poor and lower middle class.”

He says 1.85 crore free LPG connections has been given in Karnataka and 34 lakh toilets have been made under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

5.11pm: Modi says, “There will be chaos in Bengaluru if it doesn’t get electricity for a day. However, there are 7 lakhs homes in Karnataka and 4 crores homes in the nation which live in dark even after so many years of independence.”

5.09pm: The prime minister asks, “Despite receiving a large amount of money from the Centre, have you seen any positive change in Karnataka?”

4.59pm: Modi says, “Countdown has begun for end of the Congress government in Karnataka. Congress is at the exit gate. It has caused destruction here and Karnataka doesn’t need a Congress culture anymore.”

4.51pm: Narendra Modi begins his speech at the rally and greets the attendees in Kannada. Loud cheers from the crowd.

4.45pm:

4.33pm: Yeddyurappa felicitates Modi.

4.17pm: PM Modi arrives at the Parivartana Yatra. He is joined on stage by state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, and Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar.

3:00pm: Responding to the CM’s tweets, state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa alleged that Karnataka has scripted several firsts like corruption, farmers suicide and collapse of law and order under Siddaramaiah’s regime.

2:53pm: Claiming that Karnataka is the number one state in investment and innovation, and highlighting Bengaluru as a startup and innovation hub, Siddaramaiah boasted about having scripted several national firsts across key sectors through a unique model of development.

2:50pm: Ahead of PM Modi’s public rally, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah asked him to “find time” to resolve the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa.

2:21pm: The city has been turned into a fortress with heightened security for Modi’s visit. At least 1,000 policemen have been deployed around the venue, with another 1,200 traffic police working to manage the traffic, city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar said.

2:16pm: Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal, who are in charge of the BJP poll campaign in Karnataka, and Ananth Kumar, DV Sadananda Gowda and Ananthkumar Hegde, who hail from the state, are expected to take part in the event.

2:15pm: The BJP’s state unit had opened an online registry and used social media to personally invite the youth, techies, educated class and prominent citizens to the venue.

2:11pm: Modi is expected to address a BJP rally at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru.

2:00pm:

1.55pm: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, pro-Kannada activists demand his intervention in the Mahadayi River dispute.

Karnataka has for long been demanding the PM’s intervention in resolving the river water sharing dispute by calling a meeting of chief ministers of riparian states that includes Goa and Mahrashtra.

Karnataka, which has locked horns with neighbouring Goa on sharing Mahadayi River water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The project is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc ft water to Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.