Congress-JD(S) mission is 20% commission, taunts Modi

Slamming the alliance of the ruling Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the mission of the coalition government in Karnataka was to take 20 per cent commission in every deal-making.

"Both the defeated parties came together after the Assembly elections last year to form a 'milawat' (adulterated) government for keeping the BJP out of power and take 20 per cent commission in every contract or project," Modi said while addressing an election rally in Gangavathi, 370 km northwest of Bengaluru.

The Prime Minister said the previous Congress government head was a "10 per cent commission agent".

"With 10 per cent commission agent JD-S joining the Congress, the commission has doubled to 20 per cent for every deal. What can you expect from such parties, which fought for years but came together soon fearing the BJP will come to power," Modi said in his 35-minute speech in Hindi.

Dubbing Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi and British national Christian Michel as "uncles" of the Congress for being commission agents in defence deals, Modi alleged that the new Congress government in Madhya Pradesh diverted funds meant for mid-day meals in schools to the party's election expenses.

"Crores of rupees were found in the official residence of a Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh on Tugalak Road in New Delhi. The money was siphoned off from the treasury to fund the party's campaign," Modi said.

Exhorting the people to vote for the party's candidates by pressing the lotus button on the EVM, the Prime Minister said their votes would help him form a strong government at the Centre for the overall development of the country.

Modi was given a rousing welcome when he greeted the people in Kannada and lauded them for assembling on a hot summer day.

Claiming that a BJP wave was sweeping across the country, Modi said there was no doubt about the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returning to power to serve the people for five more years.

State BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa and the party's other leaders such as Jagadish Shettar and B.R. Sriramulu were present on the occasion.

The 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka will go to the polls in the second and third phase on April 18 and April 23, respectively.

--IANS

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