Siddaramaiah Hits Back at Modi's 'PPP Congress' Remark With 'Prison, Price Rise and Pakoda' Jibe

Gadag/Tumakuru/Shivamogga: Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Congress in three consecutive rallies in Karnataka on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party will be reduced to “Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar” and coined a new name for the party — PPP Congress.

Karnataka CM Siddarmaiah was quick to retort to the PPP jibe and sent out a tweet saying, "Dear Modi, Heard you spun a new abbreviation ‘PPP’ today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy - ‘Of the People, By the People, For the People’. While your party is a ‘Prison’, ‘Price Rise’ & ‘Pakoda’ party. Am I right, Sir?"

Siddaramaiah ended his tweet with #NijaHeliModi, which translates to "tell the truth".

With only a week left to the D-day in Karnataka, Modi upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging it has become a "corruption tank" for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, "where the money reaches directly".

He also called the party and the Gandhis “liars” while addressing the third rally at Shivamogga and said that they are in the business of “lying”.

Modi also accused the top Congress leadership of auctioning tickets, party positions and even the chief minister's post.

"After May 15 (when poll results will be declared), Indian National Congress will be reduced to 'PPP Congress'-- P for Punjab, P for Puducherry, and P for Parivar (family)," Modi told an election rally in Gadag, where he predicted the state's ruling party would be decimated in the elections.

He accused the Congress of "auctioning" party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA government.

"After the helicopter scam, coal scam, CWG scam and many others, the Congress has now started a tender system... there is tender for ticket distribution, for selecting leaders, for choosing even the chief minister.

"Their leaders in Karnataka have been told by those above them that the person who promises to send the highest amount of money to Delhi every month will become the chief minister," he alleged.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Modi's attack regarding increase in assets belonging to some Congress legislators and ministers. "Sir, Your CM candidate took bribe in a cheque. One of your Reddy friends G Janardhana Reddy conducted Rs 500 Cr wedding for his daughter at the height of demonetisation....," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Siddaramaiah asked Modi to talk about "something relevant" to the people of Karnataka and suggested topics such as steep diesel and petrol prices besides job creation.

Modi said despite a string of electoral losses in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tripura the Congress was not as worried as it is now when defeat stares it in the face.

"I tell you why... Because their ministers and leaders in Karnataka have built a tank here. A part of money looted from people is taken home and the rest is put in that tank. The tank is linked to Delhi through a pipeline which carries the money directly to Delhi.

"They are worried about what will happen to the party if this government goes. Be alert, be awake. If the Congress comes to power, its government will do nothing but loot," he said.

Modi said to fill the "corruption tank", the Congress has created a network of extortion mafia, and it is worried what will happen to that.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was once again in Modi's line of fire, with the prime minister calling his government "seedha rupaiah sarkar" (government that takes bribe). The Congress leader, too, continued his attack on PM Modi and the BJP even as Modi continued with his rallies.

In a series of tweets, the Karnataka CM wrote: "So, please talk anout something rlevant to the people of Karnataka. 1. Why is diesel & petrol so expensive when international crude oil prices are half of what they used to be before 2014? 2. Instead of advising the youth to sell pakodas why don’t you focus on job creation."

"Money is bad," he noted, recalling what saint poet Shishunala Sharifa once said. But for Karnataka's Congress government, it is "Baap bada na bhaiya, sab se bada rupaiya(when it comes to money not even your relations are important)."

"Your Chief Minister has changed the saying itself... Baap bhi bada, bhaiya bhi bada aur us se bhi upar rupiya; seeda seeda rupaiya (Relations are important and money is even more important)," Modi said.

Speaking about the contentious Mahadayi river issue over which Goa and Karnataka are locked in a protracted dispute, Modi claimed, the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said during Goa Assembly elections in 2007 that her party was "committed" to not allowing Karnataka its share of water.

"Now that they are out of power in Goa, they are instigating people of Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue... their job (atkana, latkana, bhatkana) to block, leave things hanging fire, and mislead people. Instead of finding a solution to Mahadayi dispute, Congress government sent it to a tribunal," he said.

Siddaramaiah hit back at PM Modi in a tweet and said, "Why don't you intervene and call a meeting of three CMs?"

Earlier addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Modi alleged that the Congress and JD(S) have entered into a "secret" pact for the Karnataka polls.

"If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD (S).... Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding... an understanding behind the curtains," he said.

Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with "one family" in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers.

"Garibi, garibi, garibi (poverty, poverty, poverty) was their constant rant. But once the son of a poor mother became the prime minister, they clammed shut... now they don't talk about poverty," he said, and asked voters to "punish" the Congress for Karnataka's better future.

(With PTI inputs)