Give BJP decisive mandate, we will make Karnataka No 1: Amit Shah

BALLARI: Sounding the election bugle in Ballari district on Thursday, Union home minister Amit Shah urged people to “give a decisive mandate to BJP” so that the saffron party can make Karnataka the No 1 state in South India in terms of development.
“Trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BS Yediyurappa once again and give BJP a full mandate. We will give such a government that it will rid Karnataka of corruption and make it the number one state in South India,” Shah said while addressing a public meeting in Sandur, Ballari district, which is considered a bastion of Congress.
Coming down heavily on Congress and JD(S) and calling them dynastic parties, Shah said voting for them “is like voting for corruption and family politics”. “Every vote polled for JD(S) will benefit Congress and every vote polled for Congress will benefit [Congress Legislature Party leader] Siddaramaiah,” he said.
“If you elect Congress, it will work as an ATM for its high command in Delhi.” Highlighting BJP’s achievements, Shah said on one hand, there is PM Modi-led BJP which is working towards strengthening India and ensuring its safety and on the other, there is the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress which is “linked to the Tukde-Tukde gang”.
“People should compare their leadership before making a decision. Rahul Gandhi campaigned against the withdrawal of special status for Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that abrogation of Article 370 would lead to a bloodbath. But forget about bloodbath, no one dared even to pelt a stone,” Shah said.
He also sought to remind the crowd how Modi taught a befitting lesson to Pakistan over the Pulwama attack. “Despite frequent terror attacks, the UPA government led by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh didn’t give a befitting reply. But the Modi government destroyed terror groups in Pakistan within 10 days of the Pulwama attack.
This is PM Modi’s leadership,” he said. Congress has been soft on terrorism he alleged citing withdrawal of criminal cases against Popular Front of India activists during Siddaramaiah’s tenure in Karnataka. “Around 1,700 cases were withdrawn. On the other hand, BJP banned this outfit,” he said.
Shah also taunted Siddaramaiah and state Congress president DK Shivakumar for “fighting” for the chief minister’s post. “In their fight, Karnataka will not become KalyanaKarnataka,” he said. Former chief minister Yediyurappa and state BJP president Nalin Ku - mar Kateel were among several others present.