Takshak Pai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress government in Karnataka for the alleged murders of BJP activists, on his visit to Udupi on Tuesday.
Modi was speaking on the first day of his last round of campaigning before polls in the state on May 12.
One of the main points of contention in the Prime Minister’s speech was the issue of alleged murders of BJP activists in the coastal region. “Violence cannot be accepted in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. We are talking about enhancing 'Ease of Doing Business' in the country, but Congress believes in 'Ease of Doing Murder'. This is the culture they have developed”, he said addressing a rally at MGM Grounds in Udupi.
The PM’s statements follow similar statements made by other BJP leaders including Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, who was also present at the rally.
In July 2017, Karandlaje had written to the Home Minister alleging that 23 ‘Hindu activists’ had been murdered by ‘jihadi elements’ in Karnataka since 2014 and raised suspicions that Muslim organisations were involved in them and also accused the ruling Congress government of protecting them.
Modi, in his speech, chose to highlight communal violence in coastal Karnataka and claimed that more than two dozen BJP workers were killed in the last two years in Karnataka. “It is just because they fought for the people of the state. We must remove such violent murders from the state and country,” he added.
Modi’s statements were objected to by Congress leaders in Udupi who pointed out that the incidents were not politicised by local leaders. “The murders of Vinayak Baliga, and Praveen Poojary, BJP leaders never spoke about it or reacted to it. Murders should not be an issue of politics. Murders were there during the time of BJP as well. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister chooses to speak on this rather than developmental criticism,” said Amrith Shenoy, a local Congress leader.
In his speech, Modi also tried to strike a chord with voters by referencing the history of Udupi and its significance. He began his address recalling the town’s association with the erstwhile Bharatiya Jan Sangh. “We came into politics at a late stage, but with Udupi, we have been experiencing a special bond since many years. When the flag of the Jan Sangh wasn’t fluttering all over the country, 40 years ago, the people of Udupi voted for representatives of the Jan Sangh and sent them to the municipality,” he said, stressing on the BJP’s history in Udupi.
However, a planned visit to Krishna Mutt in the town was cancelled due to time constraints. PM Modi addressed three rallies in the state on Tuesday starting from Chamarajanagar and ending the day at Belagavi.