Powerful people in India, abroad have joined hands to remove me: PM Modi in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed at an election rally in Karnataka on Saturday (April 20) that “big and powerful people in India and abroad” have joined hands to remove him from power and it was the blessings of women that were keeping him going.

The PM was addressing a mega public meeting in Chikkaballapura when he made the comment. “Mothers and sisters have come in large numbers. Modi has seen your struggle, your challenges to nurture your family, in his own house,” he said

“Suraksha kavach”

“These days, big and powerful people in the country and abroad have united to remove Modi. But, because of Nari Shakti and Maatru Shakti’s blessings and suraksha kavach (safety armour), Modi is able to move on fighting challenges,” he went on.

Modi said “serving mothers, sisters, and daughters and protecting them” are his priority and listed out the measures taken by his government in 10 years for women’s welfare, such as supporting their self-help groups and creating “Lakhpati Didis”.

Modi’s claims

The prime minister claimed the first phase of voting for Lok Sabha on Friday has gone in favour of NDA and “Viksit Bharat”.

Targeting the INDIA bloc, Modi said the Opposition alliance does not have a leader at present and has no vision for future, and that “their history was of scams”.

Praise for Deve Gowda

Praising JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who shared the stage with him, for his energy and commitment at the age of 90, Modi said he too draws inspiration from him.

“His (Gowda’s) commitment towards Karnataka, the pain in his heart for the plight of Karnataka today, and the ‘josh’ (enthusiasm) in his voice, is the testimony for Karnataka’s bright future,” Modi said, as he thanked Gowda for his “blessings”.

The JD(S) joined the NDA in September last year.

Gowda on “chombu”

Gowda, in his speech, hit out at the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over a sarcasm-laced newspaper advertisement campaign alleging that the Modi government’s gift to Karnataka was an empty “chombu” (a small, round water container).

Pointing at 2G and coal allocation scams during the UPA rule under Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, he said, “After looting the resources of the state and the country during the Congress regime, Modi was given the empty chombu, which he has turned into an akshaya patre in 10 years.”

India then and now

Modi, later addressing a public rally in Bengaluru, said in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, people gave a record number of seats to the BJP, which made the country stronger. India was earlier considered among the “fragile five”, but today, India is among the world’s top five economies, he claimed.

Every country in the world wants to strengthen friendship with India and investors want to invest in the country, Modi said. India today is not the one that follows, but has become the “first mover”, he added.

“This has happened in just 10 years.” In this election, INDIA bloc leaders are going around with an “old tape recorder”, while Modi and his friends are seeking blessings once again with the track record, the prime minister said.

INDIA vs NDA

The Congress and INDIA bloc’s focus during the campaign has been on Modi, his parivaar (family), and false allegations about him, while Modi’s focus has been on India’s development in the 21st century, its prosperity, and its global image, claimed.

The NDA government is doing record investment in social, physical, and digital infrastructure, while the Karnataka Congress government’s only focus is corruption, Modi said.

From “tech city to tanker city”

Bengaluru’s founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda had dreamt of a magnificent city, but the Congress government, in very little time, has ruined the situation, Modi said. The Congress has “changed the tech city into tanker city”, and has left it to the water mafia, he said.

Whether it is agriculture or urban infrastructure, budget is being cut in every sector in Karnataka, he said, adding that the Congress’s focus is only on corruption, but not on the issues faced by people of Bengaluru. “Only central government projects are going at a fast pace in Karnataka,” Modi said.

Karnataka is going to the polls in two phases. While 14 Lok Sabha segments in the southern parts of the state will vote on April 26, the remaining 14 constituencies in the northern parts will vote in the second phase on May 7.

(With agency inputs)