Political Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 30: In an interesting development, BJP president Amit Shah, whose party in Karnataka is facing heavy criticism for giving ticket to scam-tainted Reddy brothers and involving Janardhana Reddy in the election campaign, on Monday April 30 took the opportunity to target Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for meeting fodder scam convict and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav at AIIMS in New Delhi earlier in the day.

Rahul met Lalu in the hospital to enquire after his health. But Amit Shah attacked Rahul during an election rally at KGF Kolar on Monday evening, saying, "How can we expect a non-corrupt government in Karnataka from Congress when Congress chief himself joins hands with Lalu, and hugs him in AIIMS hospital? Congress is nothing but a corrupt party, they cannot give a clean government."

Reacting sharply to Shah's attack, Congress leaders in Bengaluru rebutted Shah saying, the same BJP president Amit Shah was mum when Sushma Swaraj helped scam-tainted and absconding Lalit Modi when his wife wanted medical treatment in Portugal. Sushma had emotionally attacked Sonia Gandhi in the parliament, saying she helped Lalit Modi's wife on humanitarian grounds on realising the pain of a woman. "But the same BJP party chief had not even opened his lips then. Now, when Rahul Gandhi visited Lalu on humanitarian ground to enqure after Lalu's health, Shah is lecturing the Congress on corruption. First let Shah answer the questions raised by various students and youth on why 'jailbird and scam-tainted Yeddyurappa has been chosen the CM candidate of BJP? Amit Shah has no moral right to question Rahul's visit to Lalu," they said.

Sources close to Congress told daijiworld that meeting Lalu in the hospital was a well-calculated move by Rahul Gandhi ahead of Karnataka election to get sympathy from Lalu supporters from Karnataka and attack the BJP with Lalit Modi issue if a question on his visit to Lalu is raised.