Upadte:PM Narendra Modi in Karnataka

Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India has launched his campaign blitzkrieg in Karnataka with a direct attack on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of disrespecting ‘Vande Mataram’ and being “ignorant” of India’s history. He also challenged the Congress leader to list out the Siddaramaiah government’s achievements in 15 minutes in “Hindi, English or your mother tongue”, taking a jibe at his mother Sonia Gandhi’s Italian roots. The PM is currently speaking at a rally in Santhemarahalli in Chamarajanagara. With just 10 days left for campaigning to conclude in poll-bound Karnataka, the PM is in the state to add heft to the BJP's efforts to unseat the Congress from power and form its government in the southern state for a second time. Modi, who last visited Karnataka for campaigning in February, will be addressing rallies in Udupi and Chikkodi in Belagavi. Ahead of his Udupi rally, Modi is scheduled to visit Krishna Mutt and meet the senior seer there. At least a dozen rallies are expected to follow in the coming days. Polling for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be held on May 12, and results will be declared on May 15.

In a series of tweets, CM Siddaramaiah assailed the prime minister over BJP giving tickets to "tainted" mining baron G Janardhana Reddy's brothers and associates and declaring Yeddyurappa as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate. "Would G Janardhana Reddy be joining your rallies here? You have given his family & friends 8 tickets, hoping it will help BJP in 10-15 seats. And then, you lecture us on corruption. Please end this hypocrisy. Kannadigas aren't wearing Kamala (lotus, the BJP's election symbol) on their ears," Siddaramaiah wrote.

"You first make scam tainted @BSYBJP your party's CM face in Karnataka. Then media reports that you don't want to be seen sharing the stage with him at rallies! Karnataka wants to know if Yeddyurappa is still your CM candidate?" he wrote in another tweet.

Raising issues like tickets being given to "rape" accused and “MLAs who watched porn in the Assembly", the chief minister also hit out at Modi over promises that were not kept.

In tweets that followed, Siddaramaiah referred to incidents of rape in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "protected" a BJP MLA accused of sexual assault, while party MLAs defended the alleged rapists of a child in Jammu and Kashmir.

"And then your party makes bombastic Ads to politicise rape in Karnataka?!" Siddaramaiah said. He added that the Modi government had failed to create jobs for young people and advised them to sell 'pakodas' instead. He attacked the prime minister over demonetisation, and not waiving off farm loans.

During Modi's earlier visit, Siddaramaiah had welcomed him and asked him to address the Mahadayi water sharing dispute with neighboring Goa. The prime minister had hit back at Siddaramaiah, calling his dispensation "10 per cent government", one that allegedly took 10 per cent commission for development works.