Hubballi: Taking a dig at BJP, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday stated that Jagadish Shettar was denied ticket by the BJP because he did not do corruption.
“He (Shettar) did not get a ticket because he did not do any corruption. He could not become a leader in BJP because he did not take 40 percent (commission),” Gandhi said.
Former BJP leader Jagadish Shettar had joined the Congress after quitting the BJP this month after he was denied ticket by the ruling party. However, Congress gave him a ticket to contest from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. He is pitted against BJP’s Mahesh Tenginkai.
Meanwhile reiterating the “40 per cent sarkar” charge against Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi asked voters not to give BJP 40 plus seats, and ensure 150 seats for the Congress as the ruling party steals the government.
“Ensure 150 seats for the Congress. Don’t give them (BJP) 40 plus seats, because BJP steals the government,” he said addressing a rally in Haveri district.
He also criticised the central government for “encouraging privatisation” of public companies and scissoring government jobs in the country.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he had promised to give two crore jobs to youth every year, but unemployment is the highest today in 40 years, he said. “We don’t want such a Hindustan; an unemployed India; a poor India. We want justice,” he said.
In an interaction with sugarcane farmers at Ramdurg in Belagavi district, Rahul Gandhi said the country’s progress depended on the progress of its farmers, labourers and small businesses.
He also alleged that the corrupt BJP government is only focused on helping 2 to 3 of its friends, instead of focussing on reducing the ordeals of the farmers across the country.
Gandhi said the farmers and small businesses have been attacked by the fallacious policies of the BJP like the GST.
On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi held a massive roadshow in Vijayapura. Later he visited Kudala Sangama, a pilgrimage centre for Lingayats, to participate in Basava Jayanti.
Basava Jayanti is celebrated in memory of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna.
The Gandhi scion had launched a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Bommai government in Karnataka.
He had said that while the medieval era reformer had propounded social equality and helping the needy, PM Modi was befriending business tycoon Gautam Adani, who is rich and wealthy. UNI
