Learn patriotism from Mudhol hounds: Modi
BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the mere mention of the word patriotism made the Congress leaders jittery as he addressed a string of poll rallies in Karnataka, accusing the rival party of corruption and trying to divide society.
As campaigning for the southern state entered the final week, the Congress too stepped up the offensive, questioning the Prime Minister’s alleged silence on attacks against Dalits.
“I want to tell those who fall sick at the mention of patriotism -- don’t learn from anybody, not even from Mahatma Gandhi, but at least learn from the Mudhol hounds. These dogs are going out to protect the nation with a new battalion,” Modi said at an election rally in Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district.
The Mudhol hounds are native to the district and the first Indian breed to serve the Indian Army.
The Congress, Modi said, had joined hands with those who wanted to break up India and the party also didn’t think much of asking the army for proof of surgical strikes.
The PM said he was saddened that the Congress, which had been in power for 60 years, had forgotten parliamentary etiquette.“it has been the tradition that those who lose in elections accept the defeat and the peaceful transfer of power. But after 2014 Lok Sabha election, Congress politicians, the mother and son, did not even have the courtesy to congratulate the party that won,” Modi said, referring to then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
He said it took Sonia Gandhi a year to pay a courtesy call “when a Dalit became the President” and “the son met the President seven months later that too, when he had to submit a memorandum”.
Earlier in the day, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi shared a video on Twitter and said the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, wanted Dalits at the bottom rung of society.
“Central to the RSS/BJP fascist ideology, is that Dalits and Adivasis must continue to exist at
Congress wants to divide Karnataka, but we will not let this happen. Wake up... listen to poet Kuvempu, who said Karnataka is the daughter of India...
NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister
the bottom rung of society, Gandhi tweeted, using the hashtag -“Answermaadimodi”.
The two-minute clip included videos of flogging of Dalit men in Gujarat’s Una in 2016 and the recent SC/ST markings on the chests of aspirants during a recruitment drive for constables in Madhya Pradesh.
Dalits account for 23.5% of the population in the southern state which will vote for a new assembly on May 12.
The Congress wanted to divide people to win an election, Modi said. “The Congress wants to divide Karnataka, but we will not let this happen. Wake up Congress leaders... listen to poet Kuvempu, who said Karnataka is the daughter of India,” he said.
Modi also accused the Congress of trying to appropriate the legacy of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara, whose followers are known as Lingayats.
The Congress has recommended a minority religion status for the Lingayats, a move opposed by the BJP as an attempt to divide Hindus. The Lingayats are a dominant group in the state’s northern region, which accounts for 90 of the 224 seats in the assembly
At poll rallies in Chitradurga and Raichur, Modi flayed the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government for celebrating the “jayantis of sultans” for the sake of “vote bank politics”. He was referring to the Siddaramaiah government’s controversial decision of celebrating “Tipu Jayanti” every year on November 10, commemorating Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler of Mysore. The PM also accused the Congress of protecting the corrupt, adopting a divideand-rule policy, making false promises and having no agenda other than “abusing Modi.”
Listing out a string of electoral defeats of the Congress, including those in Maharashtra and Tripura, he said, “Now they cannot survive. No one can save the Congress now.”
He said the Karnataka elections were a contest between the Congress’ “misdeeds and people’s aspirations”. The BJP wants to snatch Karnataka from the Congress, which now rules only three states in the country.
Responding to Modi’s statements, Congress Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal said the Prime Minister was resorting to polarisation as his development agenda stood exposed.
“Besides, we don’t need any lessons on nationalism from either Modi or the BJP,” he said.