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Daijiworld Media Network- Mangaluru (VP)

Mangaluru, Mar 27: Beltangady MLA Harish Poonja expressed his dissatisfaction with a statement made by Shivaraj Tangadagi regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, March 27 at the BJP office, Poonja stated, "The desperation of the Congress party is evident today. Shivaraj Tangadagi's remark, 'slap those who support Modi’, suggests that Congress has accepted its defeat in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. The Congress party's loss can be attributed to its use of hateful and intolerant language, which has been consistent not only during this election but in the past as well."

Poonja continued, "Sonia Gandhi called Modi 'Maut ka Saudagar’, and Manishankar Iyyer stated, 'Chai wala sirf chai bechega’, yet the BJP emerged victorious. Kharge referred to the Prime Minister as 'Visha sarpa’, and they said, 'Chor Guru Chandal Shishya’. Tangadagi should understand that since Prime Minister Modi came to power, there have been significant improvements in many sectors, including the creation of more government jobs. Tangadagi's comments seem to cater more to Congress's agenda. For instance, nearly 14,000 crore rupees allocated for the SC ST community have been utilized for guarantees. Tangadagi should be supporting the SC ST community, given that he represents them."

Regarding Modi's achievements, Poonja emphasized, "No government since independence has achieved what Modi has. In Karnataka, around 540 crore farmer families have benefited. Under the Swachh Bharat Yojana, 48,05,707 people have benefited. The Ujwala Gas Yojana has provided gas cylinders to many households. The development of the Plastic Park and Railways in Dakshina Kannada is also credited to Narendra Modi."

Poonja challenged Tangadagi, stating, "Many companies were initially in Karnataka, but due to problems created by Congress, investors have fled to Pune and other places. Tangadagi needs to address these issues and explain his contributions to tackling unemployment. Despite being in power, the state Congress has failed to address vacancies, as evident from the pending 90 VA recruitments in our district."

Responding to questions about hate speech, Poonja remarked, "Congress party members, including D K Shivakumar and Rahul Gandhi, are all the same. Unlike the BJP, we oppose anyone within our party who has acted wrongly."

Regarding vacancies during the BJP's tenure, Poonja explained, "During Covid, there were challenges in recruitment, as many who passed PUC were unable to take exams. However, special exams were planned to address this issue."

In response to questions about the 2019-20 batch of students passing due to Covid, despite the BJP being in power until 2023, Poonja clarified, "Recruitment cannot be conducted if it exceeds 50%. The Plastic Park in Mangaluru, managed by a company called 'Big Bag’, employs nearly 1,500 workers. Employment is assessed based on government recruitment and post-project employment opportunities."