Rahul seeks answers from Modi on tainted candidates

Team Udayavani, May 5, 2018, 2:59 PM IST

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi today demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP giving tickets to those allegedly involved in corruption, including its chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa.

With only a week left for the Karnataka elections, the Congress president put out a video titled “Karnataka’s Most Wanted” on his Twitter account to highlight the issue.

The video had photographs of Modi and other BJP leaders with the party’s election candidates, including former ministers who have cases of corruption registered against them.

“Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don’t match your words. Here’s a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka,” he said in the tweet.

“It plays like an episode of ‘Karnataka’s Most Wanted’,” he said, using the hashtag “#AnswerMaadiModi”.

The video says, “Dear PM, Will you speak for 5 minutes on 8 tickets to the Reddy Brothers Gang? Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery, your CM candidate?.” 

“When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases?” the video says, carrying pictures and names of BJP leaders Sriramulu, Somashekhar Reddy, TH Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, CT Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, Shivana Gauda Nayak, R Ashok, Shobha Karandlaje, who are candidates in the upcoming polls.

It goes on to accuse Modi of “putting a lid on 35,000 crore illegal iron-ore mining scam of the Reddy Brothers.” 

Taking a dig at the prime minister, the video says, “Awaiting your reply! PS: You can refer to a paper for answers.” 

The reference is to Modi’s earlier remarks that Gandhi cannot speak for even five minutes without referring to notes. 

This was Modi’s response to the Congress chief’s challenge to face him in Parliament when he alleged that the prime minister cannot stand for 5 minutes in Parliament if he allowed to speak for 15 minutes.

The Karnataka Assembly elections are slated for May 12 and results will be out on May 15.