Hassan (IANS): Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling JD(S) a B – team of Congress party.

Speaking to reporters in Arsikere town of Hassan district in Karnataka, Deve Gowda stated, it does not suit the standards of a tall leader like PM Modi to talk lightly about JD(S) party. “PM Modi has ruled the country as the Prime Minister for almost 10 years. I feel that PM Modi talking about our party was uncalled for,” he said.

“I have never thought that PM Modi would say something dubbing JD(S) as B-team of Congress. PM Modi is reiterating Rahul Gandhi’s statement in the last assembly election. There is no difference in the statements of both the leaders,” he claimed.

Rahul Gandhi had claimed that JD(S) is the B-team of BJP.

The party should not have brought the tall leader such as PM Modi to the level of Rahul Gandhi, Deve Gowda stated. PM Modi and Amit Shah are proclaiming that voting for JD(S) is equivalent to voting for Congress party.

Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda’s son, had stated that the charishma and image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come down and his aggressive campaign won’t have any impact in the Karnataka assembly elections.

Kumaraswamy stated, after nine years, the image of PM Modi has come down. The national leaders from New Delhi are coming to to the state for election campaigns. They should have come when the people of the state were in distress. “They did not come then, now arriving,” he taunted.

Now, PM Modi is coming down in Karnataka and waving at people in roadshows. What is the contribution of BJP to Kalyana Karnataka region? Ten years have passed since the verdict of Krishna River Tribunal. What has been done by Congress and BJP? Kumaraswamy asked.

PM Modi claims that Congress and JD(S) have done injustice to farmers? He should tell what injustice has been done to farmers? They did not give instalment of Fasal Bima Scheme, now Modi claims they are giving water at doorsteps. In which village Jal Jeevan Mission is successful? Kumaraswamy questioned.