On Thursday, the end of the election campaign for the May 5 Assembly polls for Karnataka, BJP’s star campaigner and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress for its timid foreign policy obviously referring to the handling of Sarabjit Singh’s issue by the Union Government.
Addressing his last leg of election campaign at Mangalore, he came down heavily on the Congress Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Modi lashed out at the Government over Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s death in Pakistan saying it failed to put pressure on Pakistan.
He said, “The Government had the time to make the countries across the world aware about the case of Sarabjit. The Government left the matter on the poor family, did not listen to the appeals of the family.”
He also indirectly took a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and called him “Mr Golden Spoon”.
He said, “This Mr Golden Spoon says he follows the principals of Mahatma Gandhi. Does this Mr Golden Spoon know that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to dismantle the Congress party.” Earlier in April, Rahul Gandhi had said he was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Can Mr Golden Spoon tell us when will Congress be dismantledIJ We are in a hurry,” Modi said.
Calling for a ‘Congress-free Karnataka’ and a ‘Congress-free India’, Modi also pointed out how India has failed to take a strong stand against other countries. “We are not getting even a single country in the world to speak with us. What are you doing PM Saheb. Maldives, a small country is also daring us. Bangladesh is not listening to us. India’s SC had to intervene to get Italian marines back,” Modi said.
Modi’s final offensive at Mangalore is seen as strategic and the BJP hopes to convert into votes. A BJP leader told The Pioneer that his (Modi) assault has a vote swing in favour of his party in the coastal district which has a strong presence of the RSS and the right wing activities.
In another rally at Belgaum, Narendra Modi once again attacked the UPA Government and its policies. He said the non-BJP Governments were doing well in all aspects compared to the Congress State Governments.