Kamal Ghorui
BENGALURU: PM Narendra Modi called Congress “a parasite and backstabber” and attacked the party on multiple fronts at a rally in Bengaluru Sunday, accusing it of betraying decades-old ally DMK in Tamil Nadu, miring Karnataka in a tussle over the CM’s chair, and failing to even pick a face to head the UDF govt in Kerala despite winning a majority.“They attack the Constitution, democracy, constitutional institutions and courts. In my public life, I have never seen a political party behave like this,” Modi said.Turning to Karnataka, Modi said the Congress govt had spent most of its three years dealing with internal fights between CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar instead of solving people’s problems. “They are still undecided on how long the CM will remain or whether another will get a chance,” he said.On TN, Modi recounted what he called Congress’s “betrayal” of DMK. “DMK stood with Congress for decades and repeatedly rescued Congress during crises. The UPA govt survived because of DMK’s support. But the moment political equations shifted, power-hungry Congress stabbed DMK,” he said.Congress is now “searching for another party to ride on”, he added, alluding to the party’s backing of Vijay’s TVK. He likened the Kerala situation, where Congress has yet to finalise a CM face among three contenders, to the “Karnataka model of CM seat sharing.”“Whether it is a two-and-a-half-year sharing formula or one CM for each year, there is no clarity,” the PM said.Modi also accused Congress of refusing to support the women’s reservation bill in Parliament. “Had the amendment been implemented immediately, Karnataka’s representation in Parliament would have increased significantly, and many more women from Karnataka would have become MLAs and MPs. The women of this country will never forgive Congress,” he said.
