BJP Thinks I Can Be Intimidated With Disqualification, But I Am Not Scared: Rahul Gandhi In Karnataka's Kolar

Rahul Gandhi promised 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 per month to women every month, Rs 3,000 to every graduate for two years and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders will be provided.  

Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka's Kolar

Source : Twitter/@INCKarnataka

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Bharatiya Janata Party thinks they can intimidate him with disqualification, but "I am not scared. Speaking at  'Jai Bharat' rally in Karnataka's Kolar, Gandhi said, "they (BJP) think that they will intimidate me with disqualification, but I am not scared." "Disqualify me, put me in jail, I am not scared," he said. 

Reiterating his stance, he again asked the relation between PM Modi and Adani.  

During his speech, Gandhi promised that if the party comes to power, 200 units of free electricity will be provided. Rs 2,000 per month to women every month, Rs 3,000 to every graduate for two years and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders will be provided.  

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala were also present during the event.

"I wrote two letters to the Speaker that I want to respond to the allegations against me, but I was not given a chance. He laughed and said I can’t do anything. He said to drink tea with him and he’ll explain. I said you are the speaker of the parliament, whatever you want to do in the parliament you can do, why are you not doing your work? He is scared to put the Adani issue in the parliament and after that, I was disqualified from the parliament," Gandhi said. 

"BJP govt in Karnataka took 40% commission for whatever work they did. A letter was written to PM that 40% commission is being taken for every work, but he has not yet replied, it means that PM has accepted that 40% commission has been taken," he added. 

Launching an attack on the BJP-led Centre, the Congress leader said, "I said in the parliament that Adani has a shell company. I questioned who owns the Rs 20,000 crore? First time in history the BJP govt didn’t let the parliament function. Usually, the opposition stops the parliament from functioning."

At 6:45 pm, Gandhi will inaugurate the newly-constructed ‘Indira Gandhi Bhavan’ —  office and auditorium with a seating capacity of 750 people — near Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bengaluru.

On March 23, the former Wayanad MP was found guilty in a defamation case for his ‘Modi-surname’ remark that he made here during 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign. The court had sentenced him to two years in jail in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have the Modi surname" statement. 

A day later he was disqualified as an MP from Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in the case. The Gandhi scion had made those remarks at Kolar in April, 2019 during the Lok Sabha poll campaign.

Kolar is an important seat for the Congress as Siddaramaiah has expressed his wish to contest from there, as his second seat. He has already been fielded from Varuna in Mysuru district.

Congress has not yet named its candidate for the Kolar seat.