Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed through virtual mode tens of lakhs of BJP workers exhorting them to strengthen booth-level campaigning for the coming Karnataka Assembly elections, and made a strong pitch for ending "revdi culture" (culture of distributing freebies). Modi also hit out at the Congress on the issue, stating what is the meaning of its guarantees when that party's warranty itself has expired.
For Karnataka polls Congress has announced ‘guarantees’ that include — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), and Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), on coming to power in the state.
The Prime Minister said states are getting immersed in debt because of freebies, and emphasised that the country and the governments cannot be run like this. "In our country some political parties have made politics the means of power and corruption, to achieve this, they are using all means like 'saam, dham, dhand, bedh'. These political parties don't think about the future of the country, future generation of Karnataka, its youth, women," Modi said.
He said, because of freebie politics, several States are making large scale spendings for the sake of partisan politics, which is also eating into the "share" of future generations. "The country cannot be run like this, governments cannot be run like this. Governments have to think about the future, along with the present. Governments cannot run just for day-to-day needs, they have to work on asset creation, so that the lives of families are on track for decades," he added during the "Karyakartarondige Samvada" (an interaction with workers).
The PM's address to BJP workers was part of the party's effort to boost its campaign for May 10 Assembly polls.
The party said earlier this week about 50 lakh workers from 58,112 booths would attend this "virtual rally" of the Prime Minister. The State BJP is looking to Modi to bolster its campaign. The Prime Minister is slated to undertake a whirlwind two-day tour of the State from Saturday during which he is scheduled to address six public meetings and hold two road-shows. Modi said the BJP was not taking the shortcuts, but was working for developed India.
"BJP doesn't think about five years of its own rule, but thinks about the country. We don't think about the party but think about the country. We don't think just about present electoral politics but about taking India ahead in the next 25 years", he said.
To address some temporary challenges, all possible help is being provided for the poor, like free ration, free vaccination, he said and added that it is the duty of the government, "but if we have to make India progress, we have to get rid of this revdi culture."
"I appeal to youth, some parties may try to make you fools by distributing freebies, but it's your duty to think about your future and that of your future generations...." Targetting the Congress for its "revdi culture" in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, Modi said, their poll guarantees have still remained as guarantee. "Congress means guarantee of corruption, guarantee of nepotism." "Congress has reached a stage where it cannot give true guarantees, you are aware that Congress's warranty has expired, then what is the meaning of its guarantees," he added.