People will reject PM Modi, BJP: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said people of Karnataka will reject Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatriya Janata Party.

The Congress President also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.

Addressing a public gathering here, the Congress president said, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay his tribute to BR Ambedkar, he stays quiet when people from SC and ST communities are attacked. People will throw out Narendra Modi and the BJP from Karnataka first, followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh."

Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi said that the Congress would not let the BJP change the constitution.

"A minister in Narendra Modi's Cabinet says we will change the Constitution. Whatever happens, we won't let that happen," he said.

Last December, Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde hit the controversy after he said that the BJP was here to change the Constitution.

"Some people say the Constitution says secular and you must accept it. We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it," Hegde had said earlier.

Gandhi said Prime Minister Modi's criticism against the Congress and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah has portrayed the post of the Prime Minister in a bad light.

"You should've seen Congress. We oppose PM, we speak against him but we respect PM's post. He thinks if he speaks against Congress, against Siddaramaiah, his party will be benefited. But this shows PM's post in a bad light, he'll never understand this," he said.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi offered prayers at Dargah of Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan Shah in Bengaluru.

The election in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in 223 constituencies, out of 224 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B.N. Vijay Kumar, Jayanagar BJP candidate. The counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15.