Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that the people of Karnataka are living and leading their life by working hard, and they do not need anyone’s blessings.

She said this while responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that if the BJP is not re-elected to power, the state would not get the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress leader addressed a huge public meeting here.

Sonia Gandhi said that the BJP was worried and perturbed over the Bharat Jodo Yatra of her son and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as it was against those who were spreading hate.

She said that Karnataka, and even India cannot progress without ending the atmosphere of BJP’s loot, lies, ego and hatred, adding that the BJP has turned into an arrogant political party.

The senior Congress leader said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to intimidate Congress workers in Karnataka.

She said that arm-twisting tactics would not work against Congress. She was referring to the Enforcement and Income Tax raids being carried out in the state against Congress leaders.

The Congress leader also recalled that she won from Bellary constituency 24 years ago, and how the people of Karnataka had treated her.

She also said that Karnataka had elected former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1978 from Chikmangaluru.

Sonia Gandhi said that the people of Karnataka are those who live with pride, and they would not accept corruption by the governments at the Centre and state.

She also said that it was the responsibility of people to strengthen their voice against the BJP government’s “dark rule”.

Saying that the BJP was rattled ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections, Sonia Gandhi said the party was using “all tactics and all kinds of repression against political opponents”.

“Don’t you think that dacoity has become the business of those in power? You had not given them power in 2018 but they robbed the government and captured it… and then, their 40 per cent commission,” she said.

The Congress leader also made indirect reference to the letter written by the contractors association to the Prime Minister on the 40 per cent commission being charged for public works in the state.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who switched to the Congress from the BJP, was also present at the dais along with Sonia Gandhi.