‘Karnataka govt most corrupt’
Amit Shah accuses Siddaramaiah govt of appeasement politics; says India needs transformation
BANTWAL (KARNA): Accusing Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah government of being the “most corrupt” in the country and pursuing “appeasement politics”, BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted the countdown for its exit has begun.
Launching his tour of the communally sensitive coastal region in poll-bound Karnataka, Shah said if there was to be a competition for the most corrupt government, the award for the last five years would go to the one headed by Siddaramaiah.
Addressing a BJP rally, he said, the Siddaramaiah government had “shamelessly” indulged in corruption.
“.... The (Hindi) translation of corruption would be bhrashtachar. Now use Siddaramaiah government as translation for corruption .... Siddaramaiah government has shamelessly indulged in corruption for last five years,” he said.
Accusing the Siddaramaiah government of pursuing appeasement and vote bank politics”, Shah said one after the other more than 20 BJP and RSS activists had been killed in the state.
“As the party president, I would like to assure you... let this Siddaramaiah government try to protect (killers) however much they want. Their countdown has begun.. their time to go has come near. Yeddyurappa government (of BJP) will find the killers and bring them to justice,” he said.
He referred to the recent incident involving Mohammed Nalapad Haris, son of a Congress MLA and himself a party leader, who recently triggered outrage by assaulting a man in a restaurant.
“The son of a Congress MLA assaults a man twice but no FIR is registered. This is appeasement politics. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
The BJP has been targeting the Siddaramaiah government consistently over a series of killings of Hindu activists by alleged “Jehadi forces,” and accused it of adopting a “soft approach” towards them as part of the Congress’ “vote bank” and “minorities appeasement” politics.
NECESSARY TO TRANSFORM INDIA SAYS SHAH
Addressing students at a convention at the Vivekanada College, Puttur, Shah said there was a need to transform the country and not just change it.
Terming 2014 as a watershed year, Shah said,. “In 2013, youth were disillusioned with the direction of the country and our borders weren’t secure. There was a series of instances of corruption that totaled ₹12 lakh crore,” he said. After 30 years, he said, the country elected a party with a majority having had enough with ‘khichdi sarkar’ (coalition government).”
“The question that arises is, what were governments doing over the past 70 years,” Shah said. “As a result, Modi decided that development would not happen in bits and pieces. Not reform, but transformation,” he said.