Karnataka - Hassan   

‘Karnataka will be the gateway for the BJP to return to power in the country’

CONFIDENT: BJP president Rajnath Singh addressing presspersons at the helipad in Hassan on Monday.

HASSAN: The BJP will win the Assembly elections with full majority and Karnataka will be the gateway for the party to storm back to power in the country, BJP president Rajnath Singh has said. He was addressing presspersons at the helipad in Hassan on Monday on his arrival from Shimoga.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said the Karnataka elections would definitely send the message across to the people of the country. The installation of a BJP Government in the State would pave the way for the establishment of the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre with L.K. Advani as Prime Minister.

Asked whether the Karnataka elections would force the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre to go in for early elections, he said, “I am not an astrologer but I can say with confidence that we will go in for general elections by May 2009.” He also hoped that the UPA Government dared not to postpone the Lok Sabha elections once its term was over.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said the UPA Government had failed on all fronts and that Karnataka would give a clear message by voting the BJP to power.

On the T.R. Baalu incident wherein the Prime Minister’s Office was misused, Mr. Rajnath Singh said that Mr. Baalu had violated the spirit of the oath taken at the time of becoming Union Minister.

Later, addressing a public meeting at the Government High School Grounds, Mr. Rajnath Singh said he had come to the home district of the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, to seek an explanation from him [Mr. Deve Gowda] why he had betrayed the BJP.

“Despite being the largest party, we allowed his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy, to become the Chief Minister for the first 20 months. But when their turn came to transfer power, they betrayed us,” he said and wanted Mr. Deve Gowda to repent for his “treacherous act.”

Mr. Rajnath Singh regretted that the crisis of credibility was on the rise in India and that the BJP would put an end to it. The BJP never cheated anybody but the BJP was cheated by the Janata Dal (S), he said.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said the Congress had ruled the country for more than 50 years and yet it failed to control inflation and price rise. On the other hand, the NDA Government under Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee had controlled inflation. Now under the Congress-led UPA Government, prices of essential commodities have gone up. He said the BJP felt that developing villages and empowerment of farmers alone could help develop India.

He said the BJP would form the Government on its own in the State and that B.S. Yeddyurappa was its Chief Minister. Once Mr. Yeddyurappa is installed as Chief Minister in Karnataka, then nobody could prevent Mr. Advani from becoming the Prime Minister of this country.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said it was Mr. Yeddyurappa as Finance Minister who had waived farmer’s loan up to Rs. 25,000 and also provided loans to farmers at 4 per cent interest rate. If the NDA comes to power, then it would extend loans to farmers at 4 per cent interest rate.

He said terrorism had spread from Kashmir to Karnataka and that there are training schools in Karnataka forests. He attributed this to the UPA Government as it had revoked law against terrorist activities. “If we come to power, we will hang Afzal Guru as per the direction of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said the UPA Government had “injured our souls” by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that it had no proof about Lord Sri Rama. He wanted to know why Mahatma Gandhi had given the Ram Raj “parikalpana” to this country? When he was shot dead, his last words were “Hey Ram”. Gandhiji’s political as well spiritual concept was Lord Sri Ram.

State BJP president D.V. Sadananda Gowda, party leaders “Mukhyamantri” Chandru and B.B. Shivappa and candidate Hullalli Suresh spoke.

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