Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundurao on Sunday dared Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to openly oppose Operation Lotus which had been adopted by state BJP leaders to topple the state government.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Rao said, "I challenge Mr Modi to clarify his stand on Operation Lotus during his visit to the state ."
Training his guns on Mr Modi, the KPCC president said that Mr Modi who preaches on every possible virtue on the planet must also make clear his view on Operation Lotus which was born out of the political greed of BJP leaders in the state about a decade ago. "Although, it is evidently clear who is behind the present Operation Lotus, we are still demanding that he speak on this issue. From the release of audiotapes by Chief Minister, H.D. Kumarswamy, it is amply clear who is pulling the strings. It is Mr Modi and BJP national president, Amit Shah who are using state BJP leaders to topple the stable government in the state through Operation Lotus," he alleged.
Coming down heavily on the BJP as well as Mr Modi for not inviting Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy for the inauguration of the IIT-Dharwad campus, Mr Rao slammed that the BJP as well as Mr Modi would never tire of insulting Kannadigas. "They seem to have mastered the art of insulting us. Be it the partisan attitude of Mr Modi in allocating drought relief or not inviting the CM to an event to inaugurate an institution in which the state is also an equal partner, they have continued this attitude. The state has given 500 acres of land to build that institution, the Union government should have had the courtesy of inviting the CM at least," he said.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy too said he has not received an invite for the Prime Minister's official programme in Hubballi-Dharwad and accused the Modi government of indulging in "petty politics".
"For today's programmes, till now no officials have come to invite me," he told reporters before the Prime Minister arrived at Hubballi.
Speaking to reporters here, he pointed out that for railway projects, the state government shares 50 per cent of the amount, along with land.
“We don't have any objection to them doing their party event, but what about the government programme that he (PM) is attending in whihc there are projects which have state government assistance? They don't have the basic courtesy to invite us. They are indulging in cheap politics," the CM added.
