Political slugfest ensues after Gowda frowns upon chembu ad of Congress
Congress handed over a chembu to Narendra Modi in 2014 and he turned it into an akshaya patre, says Janata Dal (S) supremo
Taking exception to the ruling Congress in Karnataka issuing advertisements describing the contribution of the Narendra Modi-led government to the State as chembu (a small vessel in Kannada, a slang implying emptiness), the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda termed it as “cheap politics”.
Participating in an election rally with Mr. Modi at Chickballapur on Saturday, Mr. Gowda claimed it was the Congress that had handed over a chembu to Mr. Modi when he took over as the Prime Minister in 2014. “But Mr. Modi has turned it into an akshaya patre (an inexhaustible vessel),” said Mr. Gowda.
“The Congress should be ashamed for resorting to cheap politics by issuing such advertisements,” Mr. Gowda said while displaying the advertisement, during his address, seated next to Mr. Modi. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar should know that the Congress government at the Centre that was led by Manmohan Singh was accused of a series of corruption scams and looted the wealth of the country from 2004 to 2014,” he said.
Holding the hand of Mr. Modi, Mr. Gowda said, “The Congress in Karnataka is trying to target a great person like Mr. Modi who has strived for the upliftment of oppressed sections.”
Referring to water scarcity in about 10 districts of the region, including Bengaluru, Chickballapur, and Kolar, Mr. Gowda mooted the idea of approaching Mr. Modi for resolving the crisis. “Let us earn the moral right to make such a request to him by ensuring the victory in all the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Then, let us go to him and request him to either get the water from Cauvery or Krishna to quench the thirst of this region,” he remarked.
Congress hits back
Soon after, Congress leaders hit back at Mr. Gowda and the BJP. Mr. Shivakumar said, “Mr. Gowda should explain if the akshaya patre lled anyone’s stomach or some people’s pockets. He and his son H.D. Kumaraswamy should recall all the things they had said about the BJP sometime ago.” Many Congress leaders took to X under the hashtag ‘BJPChombuSarkara’ to say “PM Modi faces the reality of empty chombu”.
Meanwhile, the Congress held a protest with chembus and the city police detained more than 100 party workers across the city, including, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka’s aairs Randeep Singh Surjewala and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad.
Mr. Surjewala said the Union government had meted out injustice to Karnataka by not giving drought relief and denying its rightful share in tax devolution, etc.