Belagavi (IANS): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday that the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka is very crucial as it will send out a message to the entire nation.

Addressing the 'Yuva Kranti Samavesha', a youth convention, here, Kharge said, "We need to face the elections collectively. Belagavi is a sacred land. The 39th session of AICC was held here in 1924, which was the only session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi."

Stating that the Congress used to register victory in 15 to 16 constituencies out of the 18 in Belagavi, Kharge said that considering the present scenario, the party will sweep all the seats in the district this time.

"The state has never wirnessed corruption at this scale as it is seeing now. Why did Amit Shah not order a probe into the allegations levelled by contractors' associations? The police have been sent to Rahul Gandhi's residence for his statement made in Kashmir 46 days back. In Karnataka, even after proofs are provided, no probe is ordered," Kharge said.

The state and the Centre are quoting double the amount for tenders and getting 40 per cent commission on each, he claimed.

"PM Modi had spoken about me during his visit to Belagavi. He had said that my remote control is with someone else. Can you tell who has the remote control of BJP President J.P. Nadda? If Rahul Gandhi asks questions about Adani in the Parliament, the questions are removed. There is no democracy in the country, but there is casteism. Is it wrong to say that there is caste discrimination in the country," Kharge asked.

"This is the land of Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and Belawadi Mallamma. This is the land of valiant individuals, and they can't be defeated by the ED or CBI. Rahul Gandhi is not afraid of BJP's threats. Let them torture us as much as they want, we are prepared for everything. No matter how hard the BJP tries to bury us, we are like seeds and we will take birth again and again," Kharge said.