Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his goverenment accusing the saffron party of holding back census data so as to avoid giving the wealth of the country to the minorities. Gandhi was speaking at a public rally in poll-bound Karnataka's Hubbali ditrict on Sunday.
He further attacked the BJP government and called the BJP government in Karnataka the 'most corrupt in the country.' He also declared that Congress would win 150 seats in Karnataka out of the total 224 in the May 10 Assembly polls, while the '40 percent BJP government' would get only 40 seats.
Gandhi was speaking after holding a massive road show from Shivaji Circle to Kanakadasa Circle, amid the sound of drum beats, in which large crowds of people took part. Gandhi, earlier today began his two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka from Kudala Sangama, where he offered obeisance to Basaveshwara, also known as Basavanna, on his birth anniversary, celebrated as Basava Jayanti. Basavanna is the founder of the Lingayat sect.
This visit of Gandhi is seen as an attempt by the Congress to bolster Lingayat outreach ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls. Lingayats are a dominant community constituting about 17 per cent of the State's population, largely seen as the ruling BJP's vote bank.
Gandhi, who had handed over the keys to his Delhi-based home on Saturday, will address a gathering in the Bagalkote district today. The effort is seen as an attempt by the party to boost its Lingayat outreach ahead of state polls. The Congress leader is scheduled to visit Bagalkote and Vijaypur districts during his visit to the poll-bound state.
(With inputs from agency)
