Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress veteran SM Krishna was all praises of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he was welcomed into the state BJP office by party state President BS Yeddyurappa and others on Friday. But it took him a moment to include himself within the party he was praising.
As Krishna was explaining his reasons for joining the BJP, he told his audience of BJP members, “There is no room for dynasty in your party.” Upon being prompted to call it “our party”, he corrected himself, adding, “It’s difficult to get over a 46-year relationship so suddenly.”
Krishna, however, said that his decision was not an impulsive one, and was not prompted by the BJP’s victory in UP. He said that he had been contemplating it for many months, and meeting BJP National President Amit Shah helped him make up his mind.
Stating that he had been badly treated in the Congress, and had suffered mental torture, Krishna also took a dig at Mallikarjun Kharge, who had criticised Krishna for bowing to a political junior like Shah. “77-year-old Kharge bows down to his junior AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, but I cannot go with Amit Shah,” he taunted. He said that it was this differentiation that the Congress made that had led the party astray.
Krishna added that he had joined the BJP with a clean conscience because he felt that the BJP has the leadership to do good work in the country, and he had to give it his support. Krishna said that while he did not know exactly what he could do for the party, he was prepared to work under state President Yeddyurappa’s directions. “I will go to Nanjangud, I will go to Gundlupet because it is my duty,” Krishna said.
Krishna also heaped praises on PM Modi for his demonetisation move and for the surgical strikes across the Line of Control. “Shri Narendra Modiji has given a new status to India,” Krishna said, saying the PM had brought India on par with the world’s superpowers.
On demonetisation, he said that even as a Congressman he had supported the move because he felt it was a necessary step in tackling the black money problem that was “eating into the vitals of the country.”
On the surgical strikes, Krishna said that PM Modi had struck back at Pakistan in a language that Pakistan understands, and praised Modi’s “guts”, vision and strategy.