Rahul Gandhi highlights clash of ideologies in LS election at Karnataka rally

He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre ran Hafta Bazi as he called the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme as the biggest ever extortion scam in the world.Gandhi asked people to Google and watch Prime Minister Narendra Modis interview on electoral bonds to see how his hands were shaking.You must have seen Narendra Modis interview.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed the coming Lok Sabha elections as a battle between two ideologies -- INDIA bloc fighting for Constitution on the one hand and BJP, which wants to ''abolish constitution and democracy,'' on the other. He said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will be a government of ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders, as he highlighted his party's manifesto for the polls.

"This is the fight between two ideologies. There is Congress and INDIA bloc on one hand, which fought for the Constitution, gave Constitution and democracy to the country. On the other hand there is BJP, which wants to abolish the Constitution and democracy and is placing their people in all the institutions," Gandhi said addressing an election rally here.

While the BJP-government belonged to 22 to 25 rich people, Congress will give a government which will work for the ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders, he said. He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre ran 'Hafta Bazi' as he called the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme as the biggest ever extortion scam in the world.

Gandhi asked people to Google and watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview on electoral bonds to see how his hands were shaking.

"You must have seen Narendra Modi's interview. In that interview he spoke about electoral bonds. It was an hour-long interview where he tried to clarify on electoral bonds''. he said. ''Just do one thing. Go to Google and see the interview, you will notice that his hands are trembling because the electoral bond is the biggest ever corruption in India.'' "On the street it is known as extortion and 'Hafta Bazi'. Usually these works are done by petty goons. They bully and extort money. Electoral bonds are the biggest ever extortion scam of the world. That was the reason that the Prime Minister's hands were shaking while explaining it," Gandhi alleged. Later addressing a public meeting in Kolar, he said there is unjust representation of Dalits, tribals, OBCs and poor general caste people in big corporate and top government jobs, which his party would like to highlight through a caste census.

"We want to do an X-Ray of India and place it before the people of India. This is what you have, this is what India has. This is going to be a revolutionary step in Indian politics," he said.

Gandhi alleged that whenever he mentioned about the caste census, Prime Minister ''went quiet.'', adding, Narendra Modi should tell the nation whether he is for the caste census or against it.

This is his first visit to party-governed Karnataka after the election schedule was announced a month ago.

Interestingly, the Congress is facing JD(S) which is BJP's alliance partner in both Mandya and Kolar seats. While there is a direct contest between JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress' Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as 'Star Chandru' in Mandya, in Kolar the fight is between Congress' K V Gowtham and JD(S)' M Mallesh Babu.

The Congress had secured only one seat in the 2019 general elections in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies. BJP had bagged 25 while an independent candidate backed by the party had also emerged victorious. JD(S) which fought the elections in alliance with the Congress back then won in one segment.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said the party will win 15 to 20 seats in the coming elections in the State. Targeting the JD(S), Gandhi called it a ''partner'' of the BJP which assists the saffron party BJP 24 hours a day.

"I had told you during the assembly election (2023) that there is a BJP here, which has got a 'B' team and you relied on it and today it is now known to everyone that it is not just a 'B' team but their partner. They help assist them 24 hours a day," Gandhi said.

The Assembly elections in May last year saw a triangular contest between the Congress, BJP and JD(S). JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)