A day after Congress’ dismal performance in the three northeastern states, Union Home minister Amit Shah on Friday took a dig at the party during an election campaign in Karnataka’s Bidar, saying that the way the party was defeated in the three north-eastern states they could not “even be seen with a binocular”.
“Results of Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya were declared yesterday and Congress has been wiped out from these states and they have lost in such a way that they cannot be seen even with a binocular,” Shah said while addressing a rally in Bidar.
“It was said that BJP cannot enter Northeast, but for the second time the government of BJP and NDA is being formed there. PM Modi’s magic works everywhere be it Northeast, Gujarat, UP or Karnataka, it works everywhere,” he added.
Further, Shah also accused the Congress of insulting its leaders and said that the grand old party must learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how to treat veterans, referring to the PM’s felicitation of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
“Prime Minister Modi was in Karnataka recently and the way he felicitated Yediyurappa in front of people is something which all the political parties should learn. They should learn how to respect their elderly, stalwarts and popular leaders,” Shah said.
Along with Congress, Shah also took a dig at AAP, which had announced that it will be contesting on all 224 seats in the state, saying that abuses hurled against PM Modi will not work as he has the “blessings of the people”.
“The level of Congress is falling day by day under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. These people are raising slogans ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ and AAP say ‘Modi Tu Mar Ja’ but God will not listen to you as people of the country are praying for PM Modi’s long life,” he said.
“The more you indulge in mudslinging, lotus (BJP’s party symbol) will bloom further,” the home minister added.
Shah on Friday offered prayers at Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib Gurudwara in Bidar during his day-long visit to the state, and also flagged off the BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra’.
The 224-member Karnataka Assembly is likely to go to polls in May this year.