From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Raichur

Raichur, Feb 12: Ridiculing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his claims of providing a clean and corruption free rule, Congress President Rahul Gandhi demanded that the BJP government should first "come clean" on the alleged multiple crore increase in business fortunes of BJP president Amit Shah' s son Jay Shah.

Addressing the public at the corner meeting on the third day of his Janaashirwada Yartra in Raichuru, Gandhi said Modi has no moral right to speak about corruption in Karnataka by remaining silent on Jay Shah’s alleged business dealings and sitting along with BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in the State B S yeddyurappa, who went to jail in alleged corruption case.

Gandhi further said four ministers went to jail and 11 ministers resigned during previous BJP rule in Karnataka for various reasons including corruption and the State witnessed three chief ministers in five years including imposition of President’s rule.

"You (Modi) speak about corruption in Karnataka but remain silent about huge increase in business fortunes of Amit Shah's son Jay Shah," Gandhi said.

Unlike previous BJP regime in the State, the Congress President said Siddaramaiah government is scam free.
Hitting out at Modi’s lopsided development model, Gandhi said while China provides jobs to 50,000 youth per day, the Modi govt provide jobs only to 450 youth per day and BJP National President tells Parliament that selling Pakoras is a respectable employment,

"While selling Pakoras and earning a living is not dishonourable, can it be termed as an employment? What is Modi government’s contribution to solve unemployment of youth?," he asked.

He further said Modi has no answers to huge unemployment and the farmers distress or difficulties.
Gandhi asked the prime minister to chalk out plans to take India forward.

In his speeches in Raichuru and later in Kalaburagi districts of Hyderabad Karnataka region on Monday, Gandhi attacked the Modi government for its failures to fulfil any of its promises to the people.

Gandhi accused Modi of neglecting welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and alleged that NDA government working for the benefit of a few corporate leaders.

Addressing a rally of tribals at Devadurga in Raichur district of Hyderabad Karnataka region, Gandhi said Karnataka government alone allocated Rs 27,000 crore for dalits while the Modi government allocated Rs 55,000 crore for the welfare of dalits and tribals all over the country in one year.

"Compare Rs 27,000 crore spent by Karnataka and Rs. 55,000 crore spent by Modi government for the entire country," he said.

He attacked the Prime Minister of acquiring lands belonging to tribal families and giving it to industrialists at meagre rates.

During the four-month long tour in Gujarat, Gandhi said he came to know that the BJP regime in that state acquired lands and sanctioned for an industrialist at one rupee per hectare.

Later the same industrialist had sold the land at Rs 3000 per hectare, Gandhi alleged and wondered if it was BJP’s much talked about Gujarat model of development.

State Congress President Dr G Parameshwara, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and other party leaders accompanied the Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul munches on 'pakodas, bhajjis' in north Karnataka town

IANS

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday stopped by a roadside eatery in north Karnataka's Raichur town and munched hot and spicy pakodas and bhajjis and sipped tea in a plastic cup along with state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other party officials.

"Gandhi alighted from the special bus in which he is touring the district and entered the eatery to munch spicy pakodas and bhajjis, served on a paper plate, and sipped tea in a plastic cup, sitting comfortably on a wooden bench," a party official told IANS here, about 500 km from the state capital Bengaluru.

Pakodas and bhajjis are made of cereal powder paste mixed with grated onion and green chillies and coriander leaves, fried in oil.

Gandhi is on a maiden visit to Karnataka since Saturday after becoming the party president in December. He is touring the northern region since Saturday on a 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' for the people's blessings ahead of the assembly polls in the state, due in late April or early May.

Gandhi's surprise act of stopping by the roadside eatery drew curious crowds and surprised the owner of the eatery and his assistants who were delighted to serve the 47-year-old scion of the Gandhi family in the way they do for ordinary customers.

Though stopping by the eatery was not in the schedule, Gandhi asked the driver to stop the bus on the roadside and walked into the open eatery along with his security men and sat on one of its benches for the hot snacks.

"Pakodas and bhajjis are popular snacks in the region, which is semi-arid and hotter than other parts of the state. They are a side dish served at breakfast, for lunch and dinner in homes and eateries.

State Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, party's state unit president G. Parameshwara, party's leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and party's state in-charge and lawmaker K.C. Venugopal also joined Gandhi in sharing the snacks and sipping the "Irani" chai, famous in the Deccan region.

"When Rahul asked the eatery owner how the business was and how much he earned a day, the latter told him about Rs 2,000 on average. Rahul took out a Rs 2,000 note and gave it to the owner for serving him and about 50 party leaders and cadres on the occasion," recalled the official.

After touring Koppal and Ballari districts on the weekend, Gandhi is touring Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburgi and Bidar in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region on Monday and Tuesday to interact with people, farmers, women and children for boosting the party's poll prospects to retain power in the state.