The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Karnataka Minister Shivaraj S Tangadagi, against his statement that youths who chant slogans in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be slapped. The Congress leader made these remarks during an election rally held in Koppal on March 25.
"They should be ashamed, with what face are they coming to seek votes. They are incompetent to do even a single development work. They had promised to give two crore jobs. Did they give jobs to anyone? When asked for jobs, they say sell 'pakoras'. If any students or youths still say 'Modi, Modi', they should be slapped. One has to be ashamed. Is it a small thing? They promised two crore jobs a year, it should have been 20 crore jobs now in 10 years," he said.
The complaint demanded a ban on Tangadagi, who is the Minister for Backward Class Development and Kannada And Culture Department, from participating in any election-related activities, citing a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The BJP also sought charges against Tangadagi under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya responded to the Minister's statement by saying that political parties targeting the youth have not survived. “Just because young India has rejected Rahul Gandhi again and again, and wants PM Modi to lead the country, Congress will assault them? This is shameful. The contrast can’t be more obvious, with Prime Minister Modi investing in young India and Rahul Gandhi’s Congress wanting to slap them. No political party, which has targeted the youth, ever survived. The young carry our collective aspiration and are entrusted with shaping the destiny of our nation,” he said.
CT Ravi, a senior BJP leader and former national general secretary of the party, also criticised the Congress for the Minister's controversial comments. "Realising that CONgress is going to lose the upcoming Lok Sabha elections very badly, CONgis are stooping to new lows. And they call PM Modi a dictator! (sic)" he said.