Chitradurga: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Congress over the issue of security and said that the party has had a "history of appeasement of terrorists".
The Prime Minister said, the Bharatiya Janata Party has "broken the back" of terror and appeasement, in contrast to the Congress, which had left Karnataka "at the mercy of terrorists."
The Prime Minister was addressing an election campaign rally in Chitradurga in the run-up to the forthcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, which is on May 10
The Prime Minister made an apparent jab at the then-Congress leader Sonia Gandhi by referencing the 2008 Batla House encounter, in which two terrorists were shot dead by a police team at their rented residence in Jamia Nagar, Delhi. He said that she had "teary eyes" after learning of the terrorists' deaths.
"The history of Congress is one of appeasing terrorism and terrorists. The greatest Congress politician at the time cried after hearing the news of the terrorists' deaths during the Batla House incident in Delhi. Congress questioned the nation's military' capability after the surgical attack and airstrike. "You have observed how Congress has encouraged terrorism in Karnataka. Karnataka was now at the mercy of terrorists because of Congress. The BJP is responsible for breaking the back of terror and putting an end to the appeasement game, according to the prime minister. The PM also "cautioned" the people of Karnataka against the Congress and JD(S), which are running for office separately, claiming that they are united by "their heart and deed."
"I need to warn you. Both the JDS and the Congress must be avoided by the people of Karnataka. They merely appear to be two separate parties, but in reality, they are united in thought and action. Both are dynastic, encourage corruption, and use polarising politics to split society in two. Both parties do not prioritise Karnataka's development, he claimed.
The state must be become a "driving force" of a developed India, according to the Prime Minister, who also argued that the "double-engine government" must return to power.
"Karnataka must become the engine of growth and development for a developed India. We must restore the Double-Engine Government to power in order to do this. The BJP has released a solid vision statement with a plan to elevate Karnataka to the top state in the nation. It provides a blueprint for contemporary infrastructure and emphasises the empowerment of women," he said.
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