Davanagere: Taking a jibe at the Congress party over Supreme Court’s judgement on EVM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the apex court has given a ‘tight slap’ after which the party doesn’t even have ‘excuses’ to make after losing elections.
He further said that the Congress party is in “panic” mode after the voting in Karnataka during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26.
Addressing a public meeting in Karnataka’s Davanagere, PM Modi said, “The state of Karnataka has created a panic in the Congress party with the voting on April 26…they are very frustrated. Congress is working with all might to ensure that something happens on May 7, and they are at least able to open their accounts…this huge gathering is clearly showing that people of the state will punish Congress for its sins.”
“The day is not far when all the internal battles within Congress party will come out on roads. Everyone will be putting the blame of the loss on each other. Earlier, they used to put the whole blame on EVM. They start chanting ‘EVM EVM’ as soon as election comes. But, now the Supreme Court has given such a tight slap, that even this excuse can’t be given,” he added.
Supreme Court last week rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of votes cast on EVMs with paper slips generated through VVPATs (Voter-verified paper audit trail.
The apex court also rejected the plea of petitioners to return to ballot paper voting on April 26. The two-judge bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta delivered a unanimous verdict.
Prime Minister Modi also attacked the Karnataka government and accused them of giving 2.5 years of chief ministership to its leaders. It was a veiled jibe at CM Siddarmaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
“Congress in Karnataka isn’t addressing the public but they are trying to see how number one will defeat the number two. Due to their factionalism, nepotism and wrong policies, Congress is playing with the future of the youth, farmers and common people,” PM Modi said.
“In Karnataka, they have not told the public, but have decided one will sit for 2.5 years and other for the next 2.5 years. Now, if they create a system like this, won’t the two sabotage each other?” he added.
He also slammed the INDIA bloc stating that the whole alliance doesn’t have any face for the Prime Minister and he leaders will be made PM for one year each.
“When people choose a leader for five years, they do so after much deliberation…I asked INDI Alliance, which face they have, whom the country can bestow the responsibility upon? If they do anything like this in dark, will you accept it?…So to take everyone into confidence, they (Congress) have decided that every leader will get one year of PMship,” he further stated.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a rally in Belagavi and attacked the Siddaramaiah government over the Hubballi murder incident. He said that the whole nation is worried about the law and order situation in Karnataka, adding that the Congress party is desperate to “destroy” the state.
“The entire nation is worried about what happened to one of the daughters in the state. They are worried about law and order situation in Karnataka. Parents are worried about their daughters residing in Karnataka. This is due to the sins committed by Congress. How can someone get the guts to murder someone on a college campus? They who committed crime know that those hungry for vote bank will save them in a few days,” he said.
“The Congress government is busy destroying Karnataka. Instead of controlling crime, Congress is promoting an anti-social and anti-national mindset,” the Prime Minister added.
Polling was conducted on Friday in 14 parliamentary constituencies of Karnataka during the second phase of the Lok Sabha election. The remaining seats will go to the polls on May 7. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
In 2019, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka. While, Congress and JD(S) — who were in coalition government in the state — could only win a seat each.
