BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of contesting the Karnataka polls by adopting the "most unethical means" after independence and said that the people of the state rejected it despite all its efforts.
Addressing a gathering at the party headquarters here on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, Shah also hit out at the Congress for "seeing" its victory in Karnataka just because the BJP fell short of only seven seats from the required magic figure.
"After independence as much as elections held, the Congress contested the Karnataka polls by adopting 'most unethical means' since then. They took support of PFI (Popular Front of India) and the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) for the vote bank politics which are threat to the security of the country," he said.
He also hit out at the Congress for playing the Lingayat card just before the polls, saying the series of dividing castes started by Rahul Gandhi after becoming Congress President was also also played in Karnataka.
Besides these, he said, the Congress also tried to misguide people about the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Atrocities Act and tried to create fake voter identity cards.
"I had never seen earlier the kind of misuse of money and muscle power as it was in Karnataka," he said.
He said, despite all these efforts the people of Karnataka rejected the Congress and the BJP reached 104 seats from 40.
He said the Karnataka elections have a message for those who believe in democracy. "You (Congress) can adopt any unethical mean but when people decide to defeat you, they defeat you," he said.
Taking a jibe at the Congress for seeing its victory in Karnataka as the BJP could not reach the magic figure, Shah said he was not not able to understand by which analysis they are "smiling".
"They (Congress) were reduced to 77 from 122. Their Chief Minister lost badly in Chamundeshwari and anyhow managed to win Badami. Half of their cabinet ministers lost. By which analysis there is a smile on their face," he said.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts for the BJP's victory in Karnataka, he said: "Despite being the Prime Minister he has been working relentlessly like an ordinary worker in every election for the BJP's victory."
He said that through various people centric schemes, the Prime Minister has changed the meaning of democracy. "He has given a welfare state which cares for the poor and downtrodden."
He said that under the leadership of Modi, the NDA will again form its government at the centre in 2019 and fulfil his dream of a new India.
--IANS
bns/ahm/bg
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