Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Mar 20: All roads led to city's Nehru Maidan here on Tuesday March 20 evening as thousands and thousands gathered to listen to Indian National Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in what the Congress leaders described as a 'historic' gathering.
Rahul Gandhi, in his first visit to Mangaluru as president of the Congress party, came in an open vehicle accompanied by chief minister Siddaramaiah. The road show which had earlier in the day begun from Udupi, wound through the main roads and culminated at Nehru Maidan where the public gathering was held. Thousands of people flanked Rahul Gandhi's vehicle and watched from atop buildings, cheering him and shouting pro-Congress slogans. The entire Nehru Maidan cricket ground was jam-packed.
As in Suratkal, Rahul Gandhi began his speech with a greeting in Tulu. Terming the upcoming elections as a battle akin to the one in Mahabharat, he said, "Thousands of years ago, there was a mega war in in Kurukshetra. There were Kauravas on one side - they had a big army and a 'sanghatan'. On other side there were Pandavas - they were only five. Kauravas had money and lacs of people in their army, while the Pandavas had a small army. Kauravas fought for power, and the Pandavas for truth. Today the same question arises - whether the people will choose those who want power or the those who are righteous.
"BJP which will do anything for power. In Goa they bought MLAs, and in Manipur, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh they formed government with money power. You have seen all this, but it does not make any difference to them (BJP). They continue to spread violence, use money and divide the country for power," he said.
"Prime Minister Modi comes here and tells lies one after another. There is a difference between them and us and the country knows this. The country knows that BJP only runs after power. For instance, Amit Shah, who is the BJP president has a murder charge on him. They will do anything - murder, burn and bribe for power. But the Congress will never do all this. People know Congress is righteous - we will never do such things. The entire country knows this very well.
"Modi said Rs 15 lac will be deposited in each bank account. He said, 'Make me PM and see the magic'. Modi ji, Nudidante Nade (walk the talk)," he added.
"Basavanna, Sri Narayana Guru, Koti-Chennaya, Rani Abbaka - these were people from Karnataka. Their principles are not just for Karnataka or India, but for the entire world. If Karnataka youth can go to Silicon Valley in the US and build a company, if the President of the United States says India today poses a challenge to the US, it is because of the thought imbibed in Indians. This thought is of Sri Narayana Guru, Rani Abbakka and Basavanna.
"But our PM goes to the US says in his speech that no development has happened in India for 70 years. By saying so, he is insulting your parents and ancestors, those who built ths IITs and IIMs. Crores of Indians have worked for years together. Crores of people see dreams and try to fulfil them, and then Modi says nothing has happened for 70 years. For him, nothing developed till Modi came," he said.
Attacking the PM further, Rahul Gandhi said, "PM Modi promised employment for 2 crore people every year, but when we asked the union minister about this in the Parliament, he said from last 8 years, unemployment was at its highest this year, and last year only one lac people got jobs. 'Nudidante nade, Modiji."
"Five banks were started from this place. Congress party took those banks to every village. But Modi on November 8, 2016 announced that he is stopping Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes and shook India. All of you stood in lines in front of the same nationalised banks, while from the back door, Modi's friends turned black money into white. First time in history of India you read that Nirav Modi and his relative Mehul Chowksi, who PM Modi knows very well, run abroad with Rs 22,000 crore, but the chowkidar does not utter a word. All companies shut down one after the other. Amit Shah's son turned Rs 50,000 into 80,000 crore in 3 months, but the chowkidar is silent," he said.
Attacking the centre on the Rafale deal, he said, "Congress had negotiated the Rafale deal for Rs 570 crore per aircraft. Then Modi went to Paris while defence minister was eating fish in a Goan shop. Modi snatched it from HAL and gave it to his friend (Ambani), and by doing so, he snatched employment from Bengaluru youths. We asked Modi about how much the government gave for the aircraft, but the defence minister says there was a 'secret pact' with France and price could not be revealed. Thereafter, the Rafale company itself reveals the price and it turns out that the Modi government gave three times the price. It came up to Rs 40,000 crore - into whose pockets did this money go? It went into Modi's friend's pocket. This is corruption, this is theft."
Urging the people to vote for Congress, he said, "On one side is greed for power, on the other side is truth. Entire country nows the BJP is the voice of a 'Sanghatan', while the Congress is the voice of the people. BJP will do anything for the 'Sanghatan', we will do anything for people. This is the difference between them and us.
"We did not make any tall promises. We gave Rs 3 lac interest-free loans to farmers, we developed 2 lac ponds for them. We helped the farmers because we felt they needed our help. If the Congress comes to power in the centre again, we will again waive farmer loans. It is our duty, our responsibility. We are not giving free gifts - it is their right.
"We are giving 7 kg free rice to families in Karnataka. We did not tell you to give us votes in exchange. We set up Indira Canteens so that even the poorest can have full meal. If are voted to power in Karnataka again, we will do double the work.
"Modi comes to Karnataka and talks of corruption. But he sits beside four peope who have gone to jail. Their CM candidate has gone to jail. Modi thinks Indians do not know anything. He was voted to power to create jobs for youths and help the farmers, not to give speeches. People have realised all this now. Modi should not waste time. His Make in India is a flop, Swachch Bharat Mission is a flop, he is showing all flop movies. The country does not move on lies. This is a land of the righteous - of Basavanna and Sri Narayana Guru," he said.
"Tickets to Congress aspirants will be given only after listening to the people. Vote for Congress not out of anger or frustration, but out of love. Unite and defeat the BJP," Gandhi urged.
Modi a liar, has no moral right to say 'sabka saath' - Siddaramaiah
Chief minister Siddaramaiah termed the rally as 'historic' and said, "This meet in Mangaluru is historic, in a historic ground. I think this is the biggest gathering Nehru Maidan has seen in recent times, and I am thankful to the district in-charge minister, MLAs and other local Congress leaders for making this possible. Rahul Gandhi spoke about national politics, PM Modi's failures and corruption. I will not speak much about the centre.
"In Karnataka people have blessed the Congress. In 2013, we undertook Ullal to Malpe padayatra as the communal forces were spoiling the atmosphere here. People expected peace and development here, but the BJP in Mangaluru, Udupi and Uttara Kannada spread hate and violence and made the coastal region a laboratory for communalism. They provoked communal riots, and that is why we had to undertake the padayatra. You (people) joins us and unitedly defeated the BJP by giving us victory in 7 out of 8 Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada. With folded hands, I entreat you, please do not pay heed to BJP which is trying to incite communal riots again. Bring us victory in all the eight constituencies of this district this time. We have come to take your blessings," he urged the gathering.
"In Karnataka, wherever Rahul Gandhi goes people turn out in thousands and give him blessings. We are absolutely certain that Congress will retain power this time too. The reason is, we have walked the talk," he added.
Attack PM Modi, he said, "Modi is a big liar. He has not fulfilled any of his promises in the last four years. In 70 years of independent India, there has been no PM who tells lies like Modi. He came to Karnataka four times. We expected him to talk about development or welfare schemes, but he did not even mention any of that. He just spoke major lies that Siddaramaiah-led government is a '10 percent government'. I told him - you keep Yeddyurappa beside you and call us 10 percent, are you not ashamed? No Prime Minister has ever lied so much.
"Modi kept saying achche din ayenge (good days will come), he said 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' - kya hogaya (what happened)? You (Modi) sowed the seeds of hatred between Hindus and Muslims. You have no moral right to talk about 'sabka saath'. It is 'sabka vinash hogaya' (all destroyed) instead.
"You brought UP CM Yogi Adityanath here. In just one year, Yogi lost trust of the people of Uttar Pradesh. In Gorakhpur and Phulpur, Yogi's own Lok Sabha seat and that of the deputy CM, BJP lost. This is the situation. Yogi comes here and talks of Hindutva and sows the seeds of poison.
"Karnataka is a land of Basavanna, Kuvempu and Sri Narayana Guru. BJP's politics will not work here. Let Modi come here a hundred times, let Yogi come a thousand times - it will not make any difference. Their divisive politics will not work here," the CM said.
Siddaramaiah went on to list his government's schemes and welfare programmes and said that by call all of it 'appeasement' the BJP was playing cheap politics. He also called upon people to teach a lesson to BJP leaders like Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje and others.
"BJP claims the rice for Anna Bhagya scheme comes from the centre. I want to ask, if it is so, is this scheme in Maharastra, Gujarat or other BJP-ruled states? If there is one state that wants its people to be hunger-free, it is Karnataka. BJP opposed GST, Aadhar, MNREGA - but now they have made Aadhar mandatory. Are they not ashamed? No rich person died in queues during demonetisation. Indira gandhi brought banks within the reach of the people, but BJP made them walk long distances to exchange notes," he said.
KPCC president Dr Parameshwara said, "For the first time in Mangaluru I have seen such a big welcome. I remember, in 2013, we had to take out a padayatra against communalism here. People wanted peace and development and that is why they gave us 13 seats in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. We have made speeches then, and five years later, I am happy to say we have fulfilled all the promises made to this region. However, some communal forces of BJP workers are trying to disrupt peace here. We urge everyone to defeat the BJP and vote for Congress if you want peace, eduction, jobs and development. Our achievements are such that today we can go to the voter with pride."
Energy minister D K Shivakumar said that never in his 30 years of political life had a seen such a big crowd.
Congress Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal, Mallikarjuna Kharge, U T Khader, S R Patil, Dr Veerappa Moily, Pramod Madhwaraj, Vinay Kumar Sorake, Ivan D'Souza, J R Lobo, Mohiuddin Bava, Kavita Sanil and other Congress leaders were present.