Is your vote bank in India or Pakistan: Narendra Modi asks H D Kumaraswamy

CHITRADURGA/MYSURU: Launching the second-leg of his poll campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a jibe at Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for his response to the Balakot airstrikes and wondered if the chief minister's vote bank was in India or Pakistan.

“We attacked terror camps in Pakistan, but some people in India felt the pain,” Modi said at a rally in Chitradurga, the historical city that is known for warriors Madakari Nayak and Onake Obavva who fought against the invasion of Muslim rulers. “The Karnataka CM went a step further and claimed that we should not talk of the valour of our forces as it damages his vote bank. I want to ask him,

is your vote bank in India or Pakistan

?”

Kumaraswamy had recently claimed that a retired military officer had told him two years ago that the Modi government would build a narrative about a war-like situation between India and Pakistan and script a Balakot-style strike close to elections to win votes.

Addressing a rally in Mysuru, which had won the tag of third cleanest city in India under Modi’s Swatch Bharat mission, the Prime Minister said AICC president Rahul Gandhi chose to fight from Kerala and not Karnataka because Congress does not trust its coalition partner JD(S) as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had backstabbed HD Deve Gowda when he was the Prime Minister. “He (Rahul Gandhi) was making attempts to find a safe seat to contest from Karnataka, but he knew the people's mood and was suspicious about JD(S)," Modi said.

The PM also said if the president of the Congress party is running away from his old constituency of Amethi, one can imagine the situation of the entire Congress party. “He (Gandhi) could have even contested from Mysuru-Kodagu or Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, but the Naamdaar of the Congress chose to fight from Kerala considering the dominance of particular community,” he said.

Chitradurga Lok Sabha constituency is a reserved seat (SC) and has been a Congress bastion. It voted for Congress candidate BN Chandrappa in 2014 notwithstanding a Modi wave. Mysuru Lok Sabha seat has been oscillating between the Congress and the BJP.

Referring to India’s surgical strikes on Balakot, Pakistan, Modi said Pakistan rulers are now terrorized with India’s military might, but Congress and JD(S) leaders are hurt by the attack and are crying hoarse against such strikes. “Did I take a right decision to conduct surgical strikes against terror in Pakistan? Are you all happy?” he asked crowd even as the sea of people waving BJP flags in the blazing sun cheered.

Modi said India had recently established its space military power by successfully testing an anti-satellite missile system, but the Congress and JD(S) mocked him.

“They neither have respect for jawans nor scientists. Congress leaders have indulged in corruption and first-time voters should look to teach them a lesson,” Modi said.

(With inputs from R Uday Kumar)