Karnataka polls: Amit Shah says Congress taking support of 'anti-national' SDPI over fear of defeat

Nargund/Bengaluru: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday alleged that fearing defeat, the Congress has colluded with “anti-national” SDPI and PFI in the Karnataka Assembly polls. He said the BJP and RSS lost their 24 workers in the last four years but the Siddaramaiah government “did not arrest the murderers.” Shah said once the BJP comes to power, it will send every culprit behind the bar even if they were hiding in the remotest corner of the world. “Fearing defeat, the Congress government is sitting with the anti-national forces. They aren’t ashamed to take the support of PFI and SDPI. JD(S) has taken the support of (AIMIM chief Asaduddin) Owaisi,” said Shah at an election rally in Nargund. [caption id=“attachment_4460205” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of BJP chief Amit Shah. PTI[/caption] The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is the political wing of Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). Referring to the Mahadayi river water issue involving Karnataka and Goa, Shah said the river water would flow into the taps of every house and every field in North Karnataka within six months of his party coming to power. Calling the Congress government ‘anti-farmer’, he said the ’ego’ of chief minister Siddaramaiah was responsible for blocking the Mahadayi river from flowing in the Mumbai-Karnataka region. “Congress is anti-farmer. I am asking you to form the BJP government in Karnataka. Within six months we will bring the Mahadayi river water to entire Karnataka. Mahadayi river will flow intoyour taps and agriculture fields,” he said. He accused the Siddaramaiah government of remaining unperturbed even in the face of farmers committing suicide. “The ego of Siddaramaiah government has bereaved the people of Mumbai-Karnataka region of Mahadayi river water. The chief minister of a state is in slumber where 3,500 farmers have committed suicide,” Shah charged. The BJP president told the crowd that the BJP will waive loan up to Rs 1 lakh either of cooperative bank or the nationalised bank once it comes to power. He added that every field in Karnataka will get water as Rs 1.5 lakh would be invested on building irrigation infrastructure in the state. Taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Shah said those who had no respect for 'Vande Mataram' and cannot stand for the national song will never do any good to the nation. He said Siddaramaiah has run away from Chamundeshwari to contest from Badami and cannot bail out Congress from the impending defeat, a reference to the chief minister contesting from two constituencies. The BJP chief said Rahul knew his party’s fate in the election. “Rahul baba has accepted his defeat. That’s why he has decided to go to Mansarovar after the election,” said Shah. In the evening, Shah participated in a road show at Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru where he sought public support for the party’s nominee.