Karnataka Elections 2023: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday flayed the Congress party on various issues while addressing a public gathering in Bagalkote's Hunagunda in the poll-bound state. Shah said that Karnataka is like an ATM for the grand old party which loots the money dedicated to the state and its development. He also took a jibe at Congress's 'Bajrang Dal' ban poll promise saying that they brought Lord Bajrang Bali from the temple to the election battlefield.
"BJP has strengthened the security of the nation by banning the PFI, but the Congress party is against it... BJP will neither allow Muslim reservations nor will allow Lingayat reservations to be reduced in the state," he said adding that Congress is unable to digest the decision to ban the PFI.
"By banning the PFI, we have secured the peace not in just Karnataka but in the country also," he further mentioned.
On the issue of Lingayats, the minister said that Congress has done nothing for the Lingayats but they want their votes. "Only two CM from the Lingayat community were made by Congress, however, both were insulted and removed by the Gandhi family," he added.
He further said, "For Congress, Karnataka is an ATM, and they will loot the money meant for the state. Congress has given five guarantees in Karnataka. However, wherever they have given guarantees they lost elections." Shah attacked Rahul Gandhi and said that his guarantees have 'no value' at all.
Raising the Mahadayi river dispute, Shah said, "Despite having government in the center, Goa and Karnataka, Congress was unable to resolve the issue of the Mahadayi river. However, when the BJP government was formed, we resolved this long-pending issue."
He also spoke on the Muslim reservation row in the state. The Union Cooperation Minister said, "We scrapped the reservation based on religion. It led to increased reservations for other communities that need it the most. Congress is claiming that they will increase the Muslim reservation from 4 percent to 6 percent if voted to power.
Amit Shah further hit out at the party for its poll promise of banning the Hindu outfit 'Bajrang Dal' in the state if voted to power. He said, "When journalists ask that the election of Karnataka has gone on Bajrang Bali, I said that Bajrang Bali was in his temple only, this Congress party has brought Bajrang Bali to the election field."
"Congress party's appeasement policy... due to which they kept Lord Shri Ram locked for years and today they are bent on defaming Bajrang Bali," the Union Home Minister said.
Karnataka will vote on May 10 to elect a fresh legislative assembly while the counting of votes will be done on Saturday, May 13.