PM authorised MLAs purchase, says Rahul

The BJP’s efforts to poach legislators from other parties has failed and democracy has won in Karnataka, a jubilant Congress said.

Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference, Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, saying all kinds of tricks were tried to purchase Congress MLAs.

A combative Mr Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “directly authorising the purchase of MLAs in Karnataka” and went on to say: “So the idea that the Prime Minister spreads in the country that he is fighting corruption is a blatant lie, he is corruption.”

Mr Gandhi added that Mr Modi’s model of leadership is that of a “dictator”.

Leh, May 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his daylong visit to Jammu and Kashmir by kickstarting Asia’s longest Zojila Tunnel, part of `25,000 crore projects to be unveiled or dedicated to the nation on Saturday, saying it showed New Delhi’s commitment to all-round development of the state.

Addressing a large congregation gathered in Leh ground for the closing ceremony for birth centenary celebration of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the prime minister said the tunnel would help in connecting the region with the rest of the country, a dream of the Buddhist spiritual guru.

The Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway and remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir.