Bengaluru: Ahead of the Karnataka elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praises on former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa on his 80th birthday, calling him an “inspiration” to all those in public life.
“He (Yediyurappa) committed his life for the welfare of the poor and farmers. Yediyurappa, his speech in the Karnataka assembly last week, is an inspiration to all those who lead a public life. Despite attaining great heights of success, humility in his affairs will forever be an inspiration for all of us and for future generations,” Modi said to a rapturous applause Monday from the crowds at Shivamogga where he also inaugurated an airport.
In his fifth visit to Karnataka since the second week of January, Modi also released the 13th instalment of over Rs 16,000 crore under PM Kishan Scheme in Belagavi and inaugurated around Rs 36,00 crore worth of projects in Shivamogga, including a railway line covering Shivamogga-Shikaripura-Rannibennur, and a Shimul New Milk packaging unit.
The new airport in Shivamogga would boost tourism in the region that is nestled in the heart of the Western Ghats, Modi said. “Shivamogga has got its own airport which has been in demand for a long time. This is not just an airport and will give wings to the youth in the region,” he added.
Built in the shape of a lotus flower at a cost of Rs 450 crore, the airport is spread over an area of 775 acre of land. It can handle 300 passengers per hour, according to information provided by the Karnataka government.
A picture of Modi holding Yediyurappa’s hands and heading to inaugurate the Shivamogga airport has gone viral on social media. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) hopes of retaining power in Karnataka are pinned on Yediyurappa, who has spent his life almost perfecting caste-based political discourse and securing the support of the dominant Lingayat community.
Modi asked the audience to switch on the flashlight in their mobile phones and wave it in appreciation of Yediyurappa who was forced to step down as chief minister in July 2021.
“Generally I am not interested in celebrating birthdays. But when my 60th birthday was organised at Bengaluru, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji graced the event and said that generally he does not attend such birthday events but mine was an exception. I still cherish that fond memory. Today, yet again my 80th birthday is also memorable because of you (Modi), your precious time was allocated to inaugurate historical projects in Shivamogga district (which it) never witnessed since Independence,” Yediyurappa said.
He also called Modi a ‘Vishwa Manav’ (a man of the universe) as expressed by the late Rashtrakavi Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa who went by the name Kuvempu, a Jnanpith awardee and a revered figure in Karnataka.
Congress leader Priyank Kharge questioned Modi’s gesture of acknowledging Yediyurappa’s birthday but not mentioning about saving Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL) in Shivamogga district.
Employees of the century-old factory have been protesting against the union government for closing down the establishment.
“People of Shivamogga expected PM to save the Visvesvaraya Iron & Steel plant that employs thousands of people. But PM was keen on telling people to turn on their mobile torch lights for BSY. MakeInIndia is just another gimmick of BJP,” Kharge, the Congress legislator and chairman of the party’s communication wing, tweeted.
Also Read: Farewell speech but innings far from over for 79-yr-old Yediyurappa — BJP ‘backbone in Karnataka’
‘Umbrella for another person’
At Belagavi, Modi tore into the Congress party, alleging the party’s culture is to insult leaders from Karnataka.
“How the Congress hates Karnataka. How insulting great leaders from Karnataka is part of the Congress culture. Whoever has a problem with the first family of the Congress, they start to insult that person. History is witness to how Congress insulted (former chief ministers) S. Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil,” he said.
Even Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was at the receiving end of criticism, the prime minister alleged.
“He (Kharge) has always tried to do whatever he can for the service of people. But that day, I was sad after seeing the Congress plenary session…an elderly person and the senior most leader Kharge was there. He is the party president. It was hot and everybody there was feeling hot but in the heat, he did not get the fortune of an umbrella.
“The umbrella was kept for another person next to him. This says that Kharge may be the president of the Congress but the treatment he gets, the world sees and understands where the remote control is,” Modi said, referring to a photo in which Kharge shares the stage with Sonia Gandhi, who was standing under an umbrella.
Later, Kharge hit back at Modi by mentioning the prime minister’s links with influential businessman Gautam Adani.
“Under whose umbrella your “best friend” looted everything from the sky to the underworld of the country? We are the Congressmen standing under the tricolour, who made the country independent by defeating “Company Raj”, and will never allow the country to become “Company Raj”. Tell me, when will JPC be held on Adani?” the Congress president tweeted.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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