Bhatkal: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the graft issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused him of supporting mining baron Reddy brothers and changing CBI into "Central Bureau of Illegal Mining."

Gandhi, back in Karnataka for the seventh leg of his poll campaign, accused Modi of telling "lies one after the other" and spreading anger, hate and added, "this man cannot take this country forward."




The Congress president said Modi comes to Karnataka and says he is standing against corruption "when on his one side is Yeddyurappa (state unit BJP chief) who had been to jail and on the other side four ministers who had been to jail."

"This time full team is also there, Reddy brothers and their entire team have got five tickets (to contest the assembly polls). As soon as they came out of jail Modiji gave a clean chit," Gandhi said.

"Earlier CBI was called the Central Bureau of Investigation. Modiji has changed its name into Central Bureau of Illegal Mining. Then he comes here and says, he is against corruption," Gandhi said addressing a public meeting at Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.

He also asked the media to question Modi regarding "Central Bureau of Illegal Mining" and the Reddy brothers as to "why they were given tickets, why are they getting his support. But the press cannot ask him question. Modi only tells his Mann ki Baat..this is the truth."

"Modi's aim is to give Karnataka's wealth into the hands of Reddy brothers, to give it to 5-10 rich people. Congress will never allow it to happen. Listen it is impossible," he said.

Terming Modi's words as "hollow", Gandhi said the Prime Minister talked about "56 inch chest."

"Modiji sat on a swing with China's President, then the Chinese President intruded his army into Doklam, 56 inch chest did not utter a word. Today he has gone to China in aeroplane."

Referring to the incidents of rape, he said, "Modiji said Beti Bachao, Beti Padao, you see entire country Uttar Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Rajastan everywhere there are attacks on women and rapes are taking place."

"Narendra Modi's party man in Uttar Pradesh indulges in rape and he does not utter a word. Earlier they used to say Beti Bachao, Beti Padao. Now they say Beti Bachao, they have forgotten Beti Padao...BJP se Bachao (save from BJP)."

Earlier addressing a rally at Ankola, Gandhi termed the Karnataka polls a fight between two ideologies, saying, on one side, there was the Congress, while on the other, the BJP-RSS.

"Support the Congress and we will work for the poor and needy," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, PM Modi motivated the morale of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state.

Also Read: Modi slams Cong for tardy progress in Karnataka, gives pep talk to state BJP

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, the Prime Minister alleged the party was responsible for tardy progress of state. He was accused the Congress of not focusing on development during their ongoing tenure in the Karnataka.

"We know other political parties hesitate to talk on development because development can be quantified. This was unacceptable to those parties which only concentrated on division. We govern and also fight elections based only on development model," he said.

With Karnataka set to go to polls next month, the saffron party is making all-out efforts to oust the Siddaramaiah dispensation from power in the only big state where the Congress governs.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect its representatives for the 225-member assembly. The results will be out on May 15.

(With PTI inputs)