Congress guarantee of 'Garibi Hatao' is its biggest fraud in history, says PM in poll-bound Karnataka

Noting that after Independence, Congress ruled both the country and state for decades, the Prime Minister said BJP's "double-engine" government under former CM B S Yediyurappa and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai's leadership has been here for only three-and-half years.

He complimented the "double-engine" government's efforts for the development that happened in such a short span, especially in Haveri district.

Congress could have done developmental work during its tenure, but accomplished nothing, Modi said, adding Congress means total corruption, scam, 85 per cent commission, a party that surrenders before terror, that prioritises appeasement, and that believes in "divide and rule" policy.

"Development cannot take place under Congress' rule because it loots money," he opined.

Suggesting that for long Congress' practice has been to make false commitments and when people ask about fulfilling them on coming to power, they say a committee has been formed to look into it, Modi said, adding the party has been making several false guarantees in Karnataka.

"Have a look at their track record and find out how false their guarantees are and how they would have crossed the level of dishonesty," he said, as he listed out Congress' false guarantees in the party-ruled states like Himachal Pradesh.

Further cautioning that Congress will repeat the same thing in Karnataka, the Prime Minister said, "Fifty years ago, the Congress had given its biggest guarantee of 'garibi hatao' (getting rid of poverty), the entire election was fought on this one guarantee by Congress, and it is their biggest fraud in the history, which is still going on." "You (people) have made this son of yours sit in Delhi, and I have lived in poverty and come here... Poverty has no difference of caste or religion," he said mentioning the initiatives of his government for the welfare of poor.