Rahul Gandhi's first leg of Karnataka campaign ends: Congress president says 'good atmosphere' for party in state

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): Winding up his four-day campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asserted there was a “good atmosphere” for his party in the state. “It was a good visit. I have met lakhs of people, had good interactions. There is a good atmosphere for Congress party,” he told reporters after an interaction with professionals and representatives of the business community. [caption id=“attachment_4322153” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] The ruling Congress is seeking to retain power in Karnataka, where Assembly polls are due early in 2018, while the BJP is eyeing to wrest the only southern state it has ever ruled from it. The Congress had unseated BJP in Karnataka in 2013. “I have told them that BJP is trying to capture the institutions in India. RSS is trying to put its people in every institution,” the Congress president said. Tuesday was the last day of Rahul’s ‘Janashirvad Yatra’ (march for people’s blessings) in the northern Karnataka region. Criticising RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that the Sangh outfit could “ prepare" military personnel faster than the army, Rahul termed it an insult to the families of soldiers. “It is sad that Mohan Bhagwat has made these comments, our soldiers shed their blood for their country. He has insulted their families, he has to apologise,” Rahul said. The RSS has clarified that Bhagwat had not compared the Indian Army with Sangh volunteers and that his remarks were “misrepresented”. When asked about questions being raised regarding his temple visits and the BJP calling him “election Hindu”, the Congress leader said, “I don’t know. You have to ask them, you have to ask BJP.”