Coming down heavily on Congress for drawing parallels between a snake and Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister on Sunday said that the people of Karnataka will give the party a “befitting answer” in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in an election rally in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi on Thursday, said, “PM Modi is like a ‘poisonous snake’, you might think it’s poison or not. If you lick it, you’re dead.” Lashing out at Congress over the remark, PM Modi said, “Today when I am fighting against corruption, Congress is disturbed the most. Congress is now threatening. They say ‘Modi teri kabra khudegi’. Congress’ topic in Karnataka elections is snake’s poison. They are comparing me with snake and seeking votes from people. For me, people of the country are a form of Lord Shiva. I accept being the snake on the neck of god-like public. The people of Karnataka will give them a befitting answer on May 10.”
PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress terming the party as an “outdated engine” and said that it halts development and gives fakes guarantees.

“Congress is an ‘outdated engine’. Development halted due to them. Congress has a bundle of fake guarantees. They don’t fulfil any promise made to the public. ‘Unfulfilled guarantees’ are their record. They betrayed the public, but BJP fulfilled all the guarantees by doing several development works,” PM Modi said while addressing a public meeting here.

Notably, Congress has promised a number of guarantees to the people of Karnataka ahead of the state Assembly polls slated on May 10, including 200 units of free electricity.
The Prime Minister further said that corruption has always prospered under Congress and said that only the BJP can act against corruption.

“Congress has a reputation of 85 per cent commission. People have no faith in their govt. One of their Prime Ministers said that he sends Rupee 1 but 15 paise reach the ground. Congress has always done appeasement politics. BJP is not for appeasement but for satisfaction. Congress has always grown under corruption. Only BJP can take immediate action on corruption,” he said.

“Congress has done nothing for the farmers. They made promises to them but gave nothing to them. It was BJP who gave Rs 2.5 lakh cr to them (farmers) in their accounts. They always neglected the poor. We are constantly working for the development of the farmers,” he added.

Hitting out at Congress and JDS which are contesting the elections separately, PM Modi said that both the parties are the “biggest hindrance” in the development work and added that the unstable government cannot have a “vision”.

“Unstable governments can’t have a vision. During the Congress regime, the world was hopeless of India, but as soon as BJP came to power, the world now looked up to India as a bright spot. Karnataka has decided to elect BJP. The double-engine govt is very important in the state for continuous development. During Congress and JDS rule the development pace slowed down,” he said.

PM Modi said that Karnataka has to be saved from the “corrupt government of Congress and JDS”.

“Today’s gathering will make Congress and JDS lose sleep. Both parties are the biggest hindrance in the process of development. The public has clean-bowled them. We have to save the people of Karnataka from the corrupt govt of Congress and JDS,” he said.

The Prime Minister has hit the ground to campaign for the BJP in the last leg of the campaigning, in which he is conducting a number of poll rallies and roadshows to turn the tide in favour of the party, in what is expected to be a tripartite contest among BJP, Congress and JDS.

Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.