In pics: Narendra Modi's Davangere (Karnataka) rally

Davangere: BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today hit out at Congress for the “pain inflicted” on the people of Andhra Pradesh due to the Telangana issue and said Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul don't have time to visit them even for a “healing touch”. “Two days ago Congress' mahanubhav (Rahul Gandhi) had come to Karnataka, Congress President was also in South - I'm surprised that both madam Sonia and Rahul are coming to south, but both don't have time to visit neighboring Andhra Pradesh,” Modi told a ‘Bharata Gellisi' rally here. “Today our Seemandhra and Telangana brothers need healing for their pain inflicted by Congress, but they (Sonia, Rahul) don't have time to speak a few words of healing touch to them,” he said on a day when Lok Sabha passed the Telangana Bill.Reminding that Congress' victory in Andhra Pradesh helped it in form the government at the Centre in 2009, Modi said, “... Today when Andhra Pradesh people are in trouble, Congress leaders are not in a mood to speak to them... Congress is in such a state that they are not bothered about people's emotions and sufferings,” he added.Taking on Rahul over his pet theme of women empowerment, Modi said, “This mahanubhav had come here (Karnataka) and expressed his worries for women. If you are so much worried about women, bring down inflation so that our mothers and sisters are relieved.”Blaming Congress for growing number of cases of violence against women in Delhi, he said “... you have made Delhi a rape capital and because of this India is getting defamed.” Criticising the Congress Vice-President for slamming BJP for ignoring corruption in party-ruled states, including Karnataka during the previous regime, Modi said he (Rahul) should tell the people how many Congress leaders were in jail in Rajasthan and Haryana and on what charges. Calling Congress and corruption as twin sisters, he said, “Wherever Congress goes corruption will follow and wherever there is corruption- Congress will have its presence. Unless we relieve ourselves from Congress, the country cannot be free from corruption,” he added.Refuting Rahul's remarks that bills don't get passed in Parliament because of BJP, he said “... Please develop the habit of speaking truth at least in front of people... country is witnessing these days who is disrupting Parliament and not allowing it to function”, referring to stalling of the House by Congress MPs from Seemandhra.It was a Congress MP who was involved in the pepper spray incident in Parliament, he added.On a day when the Telangana bill was moved in the Lok Sabha, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday accused the Congress of betraying the Seemandhra people by planning to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh without addressing their concerns."The Congress is playing politics with Andhra Pradesh by pitting its people against each other. Its leaders are not ready to directly talk to the Seemandhra people," Modi said at a rally here, about 260 km from Bangalore."I never thought the Congress and its UPA government would play politics with a burning issue so badly for the sake of votes."Addressing about 75,000 people at the "Bharat Gellisi" (Make India Win) rally organised by the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this textile town, Modi said the Congress was hell bent on dividing the state without taking the Seemandhra people into confidence."Instead of standing by the Seemandhra people and applying balm on their wounded hearts, the Congress has been playing with their feelings and sufferings," he said."Why are its party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi not going to Seemandhra and meeting its people? They both are insensitive to the people," Modi said during his 45-minute speech in Hindi.Clarifying that the BJP was not opposed to a Telangana state but wanted the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to first address the grievances of the Seemandhra people, the Gujarat chief minister said the safety and welfare of the people were paramount."In meeting the Telangana demand, we cannot do injustice to the Seemandhra people who feel let down by their own government now."Modi said, "The Congress should not forget that it was because of the people of Andhra Pradesh, the UPA could form the government again in 2009. They did not vote the Congress to divide them in such a undemocratic manner."