From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Belagavi, Apr 28: In one of the most trenchant attacks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday criticised Modi's famous slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" is nothing but "Sabka Vinaash."
Addressing a massive public rally at Hukkeri in Belagavi district to campaign for Congress candidate A B Patil, the chief minister said the BJP was constantly spreading communal hatred and dividing the society along communal and caste lines.
The Prime Minister's hidden agenda behind slogans like Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was actually Sabka Vinnash, he said.
Siddaramaiah said: "BJP is a party of jail birds. All the major leaders have been in jail. This is so in Karnataka and in other States as well. BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the State has spent weeks in jail and BJP National President himself had spent time in jail and even externed."
"When BJP president Amit Shah comes to your town, ask him why he had been to jail. He went to jail in a murder case," the chief minister said.
He pointed out that several leaders in the state have been to jail.
"Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Janardhan Reddy, Krishnaiah Setty, H Halappa and others who went to jail for corruption and misbehaviour, are all out on bail now. Should such people come back to power?" the chief minister asked.
Siddaramaiah said Modi has not fulfilled any of his promises he made to the people.
"Where is Acche Din even after 4 years in power?," he asked and wondered what happened to bringing black money and crediting the bank accounts of all citizens with Rs 15 lakh each.
"Modi has neither created jobs, nor brought back black money, nor has he even attempted farmers' welfare," he said and said ruling Congress party has delivered on its electoral promises and fulfilled almost all the 165 promises made in the 2013 manifesto.
"This is the difference between Congress and BJP," he said.
The chief minister said the government also waived farm loans.
JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy keeps claiming that he will waive off all farm loans. But he did not waive off loans when he was the chief minister. Neither did his father waive any farm loans when he was the CM or PM, Siddaramaiah said.
He asked voters to defeat BJP candidate Umesh Katti for failing to develop Hukkeri despite representing it for a long time.
The chief minister said Katti has not shown any interest in developing the constituency nor raised his voice for the development of Hukkeri even once in these five years.
"He (Katti) has not given me, the chief minister even a single letter for any work related to his constituency. I have known Katti for three decades," he said.