Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the people of Karnataka will respond to such abuse with votes and as much mud Congress leaders sling at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the lotus will bloom.
A day after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called him a "venomous snake", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday trained guns at the Congress party and said it has abused him 91 times so far and it hates everyone who speaks about the common man.
Speaking a rally in Karnataka's Bidar district, Modi also taunted the Congress and said that if the party would have focussed on work instead of abusing him, then it would not be in such a poor state.
Modi is in Karnataka for the first time since elections were announced on March 29. Karnataka goes to polls on May 10 and votes will be counted on May 13.
Modi also mentioned the times the Congress attacked him personally earlier, ranging from "Chowkidaar Chor Hai" in 2019 to Rahul Gandhi's "Modi surname" comment that led to his conviction for defamation. He also said that the Congress has abused the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the Lingayats along with historical personalities like BR Ambedkar and VR Savarkar.
Modi also accused the Congress of abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka along with Ambedkar and Savarkar.
Speaking in Bidar, Modi said that the people of Karnataka would respond to such abuse with votes and as much mud they sling at BJP, the lotus will bloom.
Noting that abuses are hurled at him by top Congress leaders, Modi said the Congress is a party that had abused Babasaheb Ambedkar too.
He said, "Babasaheb Ambedkar himself had once said in detail that Congress abused him repeatedly. Congress had called Babasaheb Ambedkar 'Rakshas', 'Rashtra Drohi', 'Dagabaaz Dost'...you will be shocked to hear. Even today we see how Congress abuses Veer Savarkar. Congress has abused stalwarts of this country.
"Looking at this I feel that Congress respects me like they did to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar, as Congress is abusing me in a similar way. I feel it as a gift to me. Let the Congress abuse me, I will continue to work for the country and its people. With your (people) blessings all their abuses will get mixed in mud. Congress people understand, as much mud you sling at us, the lotus will bloom."
In the rally, Modi also said that the Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man.
He said, "The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congress's hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me."
Modi also took a swipe at the Congress party and said that it would not be in a poor state if it focussed on work instead of abusing him.
He said, "Someone has made a list of such abuses against me and it has been sent to me. Till now Congress people have abused me 91 times with different types. Had Congress people put efforts in good governance and boosting the morale of its workers, instead of wasting time on this dictionary of abuses, Congress would not have been in such a pathetic plight...Insulting those who work for the poor and the country is Congress' history."
Modi also drew a parallel with the names Congress mocked him in the previous election. He also said the Congress has abused OBCs as well.
He said, "I'm not the only one who has been attacked like this. Last election they ran a campaign 'Chowkidar chor hai', then they said 'Modi Chor', then they said 'OBC community are chor', and now just the election season has started in Karnataka they showed the guts of calling my Lingayat brothers and sisters chor."
"Congress people listen with open ears, whenever you have abused someone they have punished you in such a way that you have not been able to withstand it. This time Karnataka has decided to respond to the abuses, the pain inflicted to their pride, through votes," he said.
Appealing to people to bring in a stable, strong and full majority BJP government in Karnataka, Modi gave a new poll slogan for Karnataka: 'Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara' (This time the decision is, BJP government with a majority).
Karnataka needs a double engine BJP government, so that there is a coordination between the Centre and the state, there are no obstacles, infrastructure projects get completed at a fast pace, so that the confidence among foreign investors are strong, and also that Karnataka becomes growth engine of the country instead of becoming Congress' ATM, said Modi.
Suggesting that the Karnataka election is not merely for making a government for five years, but it is to make the state "number one" in the country, Modi while listing various work under taken by BJP governments at both state and centre said, "To make Karnataka number one in the country, it is necessary for the double engine government to remain in the state. Double engine government means double benefit, double speed."
Accusing the Congress of dividing the country, and always indulging in appeasement politics, he said, Congress cannot understand the trouble of the poor as they haven't seen the poverty.
"Congress is a party that does politics in development...it is full of negativity," said Modi.
Highlighting that Bidar's 'Bidri' craft artist Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri was recently awarded with 'Padma Shri', Modi accused Congress of disappointing him for decades.
Quadri, who received Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu recently, had told Modi that he was wrong in believing that the BJP government would not honour him with the prestigious civilian award.
Stating that Karnataka has faced the consequences of unstable and coalition governments, the PM said, the focus of an unstable government would not be on serving people.
Reminding former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy as the head of Congress-JD(S) coalition government had admitted that he was functioning at the mercy of Congress, he said, "that fear of saving the seat or power, won't allow them to do anything for you."
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister Bhagawanth Khuba among others were present.
(With PTI inputs)