BENGALURU/ BELAGAVI: The confiscation of 9,000-odd voter ID cards in Bengaluru proved a manna for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the penultimate day of electioneering in Karnataka as he lambasted the ruling Congress for attempting to rig the election with fake ID cards to prevent its imminent exit from power.
Addressing rallies in four key towns on Wednesday, Mr Modi said “The Congress party has slowed down its election rallies in the past few days on realising that the time has come to make an exit from the seat of power. You may have seen media reports that one lakh fake ID cards produced by Congress party have been seized already. What was the need for Congress to resort to such tactics?” he asked while alleging that the party was planning to resort to such tactics in 40-50 Assembly constituencies. He asked BJP workers to remain vigilant and not allow Congress leaders to succeed through such conspiracies.
Congress leaders on Wednesday however challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the premises of top BJP leaders, including state unit president B S Yeddyurappa, "checked" by the I-T department instead of levelling allegations against its leaders, or enacting a “midnight drama” on confiscation of voter ID cards in the city.
Party spokespersons Randeep Singh Surjewala and Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “We challenge the Prime Minister: Get the premises of all these leaders (Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers) checked, instead of levelling allegations which have no foundation."
Irked by searches carried out in Badami and Chamundeshwari Assembly constituencies, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has entered the fray, Mr Surjewala wondered why Mr Modi did not initiate action against Mr Yeddyurappa, against whom as many as 15 cases of corruption are pending in the Supreme Court. The Prime Minister also does not act against mining baron Reddy brothers who are accused of looting and plundering the state of Rs 35,000 crore of illegal iron ore by withdrawing cases against him, Mr Surjewala said. "You have withdrawn six cases against Reddy brothers, who are actors of your (Modi) movie, for you have leased out BJP to the gang of Reddy brothers in Karnataka....,"he added.
