Kalaburagi (Karnataka): Going all guns blazing at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark that he spotted youths passed out drunk on the streets of Varanasi and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh during his ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the former has lost his mental balance.
Coming out strongly against the Congress while speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the senior BJP leader said the grand old party has ruined Karnataka where it is in power currently in much the same way as it destroyed the country when it was at the helm at the Centre.
"The Congress destroyed the country when it was in power at the Centre and is doing much the same in Karnataka now. Today, everyone is deserting the Congress sensing the dire straits that the party is in. Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi-ji insulted the youths of Uttar Pradesh during his Nyay Yatra. He has clearly lost his mental balance," the BJP leader, who served as the Chief Minister for close to four terms in Madhya Pradesh, added.
Hitting out at Opposition leaders alleging misuse of central agencies against them, the BJP veteran said those who fell foul of the law and committed financial misdeeds wouldn't be spared.
"They may blame us all they want for the crackdown by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the CBI. But those who committed financial misdeeds and laundered or misappropriated public wealth wouldn't be spared. This is Modi's guarantee. (Congress national president) Mallikarjun Kharge should explain why the per capita income of Kalaburagi is so poor as he represented the district in the (Karnataka) Assembly previously," Mr Chouhan said.
Training his guns at Rahul Gandhi, Mr Chouhan said, "Rahul-ji not only used unsavoury words against the youths of UP during his 'Nyay yatra' but spoke against the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370 (from Jammu and Kashmir) and the scrapping of (the Muslim practice of) Triple Talaq."
He said the Congress's only objective was to plot the BJP's defeat as opposed to taking the country forward if elected.
"Has a single Congress government given MSP and bonuses to farmers? It makes them happy to see the government navigating a crisis. They are not concerned about the country and only think of ways to plot the BJP's defeat," the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said.
Exuding confidence in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returning for a third straight term at the Centre, the BJP leader said, "You can jot it down that the BJP will win all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. We will comfortably go past the target of 370 seats as has been set by Prime Minister Modi and the NDA will go '400 paar' (beyond 400) in the upcoming elections."
Earlier, in a veiled swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that during his visit to the temple town as a part of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra, he saw people lying drunk on roads.
Addressing the public in Amethi, Wayanad MP said the youths of Uttar Pradesh were on a 'trip' after boozing by night.
"I went to Varanasi and I saw people lying on roads drunk. The youths of Uttar Pradesh are on a trip after consuming liquor by night. On the other hand, there is the Ram Mandir which is only visited by the likes of PM Modi, Ambani and Adani. You will see all our billionaires there but not a single person from a backward class or the Dalit community," Rahul Gandhi said.
"Your place is only limited to roads for begging while they (Centre's alleged corporate cronies) keep minting money," he added.
The Varanasi constituency has seen a huge influx of funds from the Centre and state government and is also a part of the Smart City mission, which was launched by PM Modi on June 25, 2015.
Taking a further aim at the Centre over the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya last month, he said only the rich and the famous like Adani, Ambani, Amitabh Bhachan and others were seen there, apart from PM Modi.
He claimed that there was no Dalit, backward or Adivasi people or anyone from the economically backward sections of the general castes at the inauguration of the Ram Mandir.
Meanwhile, tearing at Rahul Gandhi over his remark on Varanasi, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "Rahul has no right to insult the people of Kashi and the youth of Uttar Pradesh. The whole world looks to UP these days for its skilful and talented youth. We don't expect any apology from Rahul Gandhi as he is a shameless person."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)