Congress taking support of SDPI even as blasts taking place in Bengaluru: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of taking support from the Social Democratic Party of India, the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India, ''even as blasts are taking place in Bengaluru''.

The senior BJP leader was apparently referring to the recent blast at popular eatery Rameshwaram Cafe, which is under investigation.

Shah also claimed that there has been no trace of corruption on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as against the Congress, which has allegedly stains of corruption of Rs 12 lakh crore.

"On the one hand there are explosions in Bengaluru and on the other hand I got an information that SDPI has supported Congress. If it is true, then can people of Karnataka be safe under Congress?," Shah asked during his election campaign in Channapatna in Ramanagara district, which is part of Bengaluru Rural Constituency.

BJP has fielded Dr C N Manjunath, a renowned cardiologist who was the head of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology.

Manjunath is the son-in-law of former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and brother-in-law of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Stating that the entire country is with the Prime Minister and the turnout during the road show was an affirmation of his belief, he claimed, "Modi has been PM and CM for 23 years but there is no corruption charge of even one rupee on him while Congress has committed corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore. There is no honest PM like PM and a service oriented doctor like Dr Manjunath." He appealed to the people to help the BJP and its ally JD(S) win all 28 seats in the state to help the party fulfil its target of wining more than 400 seats across the country. "Modi, in 10 years, has secured the country. He brought the country's economy from 11th to 5th position. Please Make him PM again, so that he will make India the third major economy," Shah appealed to the people.

Ramanagara district is the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state President D K Shivakumar.

It is in this constituency that Shivakumar's brother and three-time MP D K Suresh is trying his luck for the fourth time and has a direct fight with Dr C N Manjunath.

Kumaraswamy is an MLA from Channapatna Assembly constituency, who won the 2023 assembly election by defeating BJP candidate C P Yogeshwara. Now the BJP and the JD(S) have forged an alliance and are contesting the Lok Sabha elections together.

While Prime Minister Modi started his election campaign in Karnataka from Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge's home turf Kalaburagi on March 16, Shah on Tuesday opted to make his show of strength in Ramanagara, the base of the Congress state president and the number two in the state government Shivakumar.

Shah rode on a four-wheeler decorated into a kind of chariot. He was flanked by Kumaraswamy, Dr Manjunath, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra and Yogeshwara.

Hundreds of people turned up at Channapatna town from where the road show began. BJP and JD(S) workers came together on the road waving their parties' flags, posters and placards. Various cultural troupes marched, dancing to drum beats in front of the vehicle. Chants of ''Jai Sri Ram'' and ''Modi Modi'' echoed throughout the journey.