Rahul hits back at Modi over corruption " "

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged graft under the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed the BJP gave tickets to eight corrupt people for the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Gandhi, back in Karnataka on his seventh election tour, questioned the prime minister's authority to speak about corruption while being surrounded by BJP leaders accused of financial wrongdoing.

"Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption. When Nirav Modi (fugitive diamantaire), whom Narendra Modi knows very well... knows by the first name, runs away with Rs 30,000 crore, then he does not utter a word.

"When he (Modi) stands on a stage, on his one side is Yeddyurappa, who has spent time in jail, on the other side there are four others who have been to jail and Modiji speaks about corruption," he told a gathering during a road show.

Modi has often targeted the Siddaramaiah dispensation over alleged corruption, calling it a "10 per cent commission government".

Without taking any names, the Congress president alleged the BJP had given tickets to eight people accused of corruption.

"During the ticket distribution, they have given tickets to eight people who are corrupt. This is the truth," he said and referred to the controversial and influential Reddy brothers of Ballari linked to the alleged iron ore mining scam.

Two brothers of the alleged kingpin of the scam, G Janardhana Reddy--Karunakara and Somashekhara-- are contesting the May 12 polls on BJP tickets.

"When in power, Yeddyurappa and Reddy Brothers looted Karnataka. Our government brought them to justice. Now, Mr Modi is trying to take 8 of them from jail and into the Vidhan Sabha. This is an insult to every honest citizen, to Karnataka, and to the spirit of Basavanna," Gandhi had written on Twitter yesterday.

Gandhi, during his campaign, has frequently invoked Basavanna, the 12th century social reformer, who is worshipped by the numerically strong and politically influential Lingayat community for which the Siddaramaiah government has recommended religious minority status, a move dubbed by the BJP as an attempt to divide Hindus.

The Lingayats have hitherto largely backed the BJP in the elections.

Terming the upcoming elections in Karnataka as a fight between two ideologies, Gandhi said on one side is the Congress party, and on the other the BJP and RSS.

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

Insisting that the government money should reach the common man who works hard to meet his day-to-day needs and also contributes to the progress of Karnataka and the country, Gandhi said the RSS and BJP do not believe so.

"They feel that the money should go to the 5 to 10 rich industrialists' pocket."This is the difference in ideology. We say that"people who are poor, farmers, marginalised, and the people of"Karnataka should be benefited. They say the benefit should go"to 5 to 10 rich businessmen," he said.

He attacked the Centre over alleged waiver of huge bank loans of industrialists, a benefit denied to farmers.

"If you (Modi) don't want to waive the loan obtained by the farmers, then make me understand every year why do you waive lakhs of crores of rupees of loan obtained by 10 rich industrialists of this country," he said.

He claimed the government waived Rs 2.5 lakh crore loan of 15 "super rich" people in the country.

Claiming that Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had worked for the welfare of farmers and poor, Gandhi accused"Modi of making false promises, and asked people whether Rs 15 lakh had been deposited into their bank accounts, as promised by him during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign.