From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about ‘Modi Guarantees’ during his current election speeches after attacking the Congress party’s guarantees as ‘Revdi Culture’ and leading to ‘bankruptcy of Karnataka’s economy’.
“Are you not ashamed of launching and speaking about BJP’s election guarantees as Modi Guarantees and Home Minister Amit Shah as well as BJP National President J P Nadda launching BJP’s guarantees that are a copy of Congress government’s most popular guarantees in Karnataka,’’ he asked.
Speaking at the KPCC function to welcome the induction of JDS leaders into the party under the leadership of State party president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday, the Chief Minister lambasted the JDS for its ‘unholy alliance with BJP’ and said ‘it will not be surprising if the JDS, which claimed to be the secular party and boasted of it in its name, merged with BJP’.
Remove secular from JD(S) name
Siddaramaiah said the time has come for JDS to remove the word ‘Secular’ from its name and mentioned that several leaders are joining the Congress after their anger at the BJP-JD(S) alliance, which is ‘totally unholy and unethical’.
JDS leaders from Tumkuru Rural Constituency Gowrishankar and Dasarahalli’s Manjunath joined the Congress after quitting the JD(S), and the Chief Minister welcomed the JDS leaders as ‘’they are joining Congress to uphold secular and constitutional values.’’
"Many more leaders from JDS and BJP, including current and former legislators, will be joining the Congress in the coming days,’’ he said declaring that the party is determined to win the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
Siddaramaiah said when he was part of the JDS, the party was Secular and made no bones about it. "When I had criticised BJP for its previous tie-up with BJP, which was vehemently opposed by JDS supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, and terming the tie-up as JDS becoming BJP’s B team, I was mercilessly abused. Now, Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda have done worse and proved me right,’’ he claimed.
He said the JDS has no longer remained a political party with popular backing and has been reduced to a 'family party'.
"Many JDS leaders, who have understood the double game of the party, are quitting and joining Congress. Many more are joining us,’’ he declared.