Virtually addressing BJP workers in Karnataka ahead of Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sharply attacked the Congress for promoting “revdi culture” by making tall promises. He warned the people of the state that the “guarantees” being given by the Opposition party would submerge the state in debts.

“A country cannot be run by taking shortcuts. Revdi (freebies) culture is essentially eating away the resources of future generations. The BJP thinks for the next 25 years and doesn’t take shortcuts,” he said. But ”whenever necessary”, the BJP also provided assistance to people, he said and recalled free Covid vaccines and free rations during the pandemic.

The PM’s remarks came in the wake of reports that senior Congress leaders in the state were signing “guarantee cards” promising 200 units of free power to every household, 10 kilos of free rice and monthly direct cash transfers of Rs 2,000 to women heading households and Rs 3,000 to unemployed youth, if it the party returned to power.

Modi said the people of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh were still waiting for the pre-poll promises to be fulfilled by Congress governments, adding the Opposition party “could only guarantee lies, corruption and dynastic rule.”

“The warranty period of Congress is already over, what guarantee will it give,” he asked. He said he would give a “guarantee of development” of the state at such a speed and scale that it played a key role in a developed India over the next 25 years.

The PM contended that a “double engine sarkar” was necessary for the “better development” of the state. “We have seen that the Union government’s welfare programmes reach the people when there is a BJP government in the state, too. For instance, while the Union government provides Rs 6,000 direct cash transfers to farmers annually, the Karnataka government has made an additional contribution of Rs 4,000. Thus, farmers in Karnataka get a total of Rs 10,000. This is the best example of how a double-engine sarkar works,” he argued.

He claimed that in states ruled by Opposition parties, many schemes were being stymied, and their names changed as the leaders were “scared that Modi will become popular”.

“If you have a government always fighting with the Union government, the development of the state will be hit,” he said and asked, “Can a tractor run with one tyre of a tractor and another tyre of a car.”

The BJP claimed that about 50 lakh party workers participated in the online programme. The PM is scheduled to visit the state soon to address a series of election meetings.