Live reporting: Rahul Gandhi lashes out at BJP, says its leaders are corrupt

Belgaum(Karnataka): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today openly lashed out at the BJP alleging that its leaders in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Gujarat are corrupt. Addressing a "Bharat Nirman" rally here at the CPED grounds, Rahul Gandhi reminded people that it was the Congress leaders like Devraj Urs and Rajiv Gandhi who made Karnataka prosperous by ushering in IT revolution and worked for the welfare of poor people. "When Rajiv Gandhi was pressing for introducing computers in India, these leaders of the BJP were opposing it, saying that this would render lakhs of people unemployed. Today these very leaders of BJP are telling us they want to make India an IT superpower. The base of IT sector in Karnataka was not laid overnight. It took almost 60 years to create the base", said the Congress vice-president. On corruption, Rahul Gandhi again hit out at the BJP saying, its leaders go across the country raising issues of corruption, but they never raise corruption-related issues of their own leaders in Karnataka, MP, Chhatisgarh and Gujarat. "The BJP government in Karnataka had become a Bellary government, with the leaders given a blank cheque to loot natural resources and exchequer", Rahul Gandhi said.Rahul Gandhi later left for Bangalore, where he is scheduled to interact with journalists at 2.45 pm. The interaction is organised at the Kumara Krupa guesthouse. Rahul is scheduled to interact with select students at the Central College cricket grounds at 4.30 pm. However, the media is not allowed to cover the event. On February 16, Rahul is scheduled to attend a convention of women at the Mahatma Gandhi stadium in Tumkur at 11 am. Later, he is scheduled to conduct a roadshow till evening, in a bid to connect with people. He is scheduled to visit Golur, Nagavalli, Hebbur, Kunigal, Huliyurdurga, Kestur, Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna, as part of the roadshow. The Congress leader is scheduled to leave for Delhi from Mysore in the evening.Here is the live reporting of Rahul Gandhi's rally: 1:44 pm: Rahul Gandhi ends speech with the slogan Jai Hind. 1:43 pm: In the coming years, when the Congress government will be formed at the Centre in 2014, we will work for the women, for the youths, and give 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and assemblies. 1:41 pm: We brought the Lokpal Bill to fight corruption. Who is stopping our other bills to fight corruption in Parliament? BJP and the Opposition. Congress govt in Karnataka will give respect to the weaker sections, women and poor people. Congress will give power to the poor in Karnataka. Siddaramaiahji is doing work in that direction. He is focussing on irrigation, on farmers, on waiving loans. Your success in IT sector will be taken further. 1:39 pm: BJP leaders had promised 24 hour power supply, but gave power for only 3 hours. The BJP government in Karnataka was a "Bellary govt". They were given a blank cheque to loot the exchequer. And what did the Congress at the Centre do in the last 10 years? It ran a government for the poor, gave jobs to poor under MNREGA, brought food security bill. Who brought RTI and gave power to your hands? It was the Congress. 1:37 pm: BJP leaders go across India speaking about corruption, but they do not see Karnataka, where their chief minister and ministers went to jail because of corruption. 16 of their ministers went to jail because of corruption. The BJP government was thrown out of power because of corruption. They do not see corruption in MP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat where their own governments are there. 1:36 pm: IT sector prospered in Karnataka because entire India joined hands and made the state to progress. BJP claims, India can be made IT superpower. But who made it? The youths , the poor of Karnataka. It took 60 years to make India an IT power. And the very BJP leaders who used to oppose IT, now speak of making India an IT superpower.1:34 pm: Says Rahul: The Opposition says, forget the poor, Dalit, and make a govt with the help of corporates. This is the difference between Congress and BJP. We do not want an India where a handful become rich, and the remain just sit and watch. We don't want that India. We want an India, where women, dalits, poor get respect,. We will fight for that India. For the last 3,000 years the heart of India speaks this voice, since the time of Ashoka, Buddha, Gandhiji. But the Opposition make you fight among yourselves so that they can run the rich men's govt.1:33 pm: India's strength lies in its youth, its poor. Unless they stand on their own feet, India cannot progress. 1:30 pm: Rahul Gandhi begins speech. Karnataka has progressed very fast, in IT and other sectors. Congress has been taking Karnataka on the road to progress in last 60 years. Congress set up HAL, BHEL in Bangalore first. our party fought for poor people, and our former CM Devraj Urs struggled for the poor and Dalit. He laid the base for the progress through 20-point programme. In 1980, Rajiv Gandhi started speaking about introducing computers. At that time, he was made fun of, and BJP in Parliament warned that it will render lakhs of people unemployed. Today you see with your own eyes how lakhs of youths are working in IT sector. 12:59 pm: Rahul Gandhi reaches public meeting venue.