Uttara Kannada  (ANI): With a week to go for assembly polls in Karnataka, political parties have stepped up their campaign and senior leaders of BJP, Congress and JD-S addressed rallies and held roadshows to woo voters on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in the state and accused Congress of “abuse culture”. BJP chief JP Nadda, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy also campaigned in the state.

Sources said Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will campaign in Karnataka polls on May 6 and address a rally in Hubbali district.

PM Modi will lead a 36.6-km roadshow in Bengaluru on Saturday covering 17 assembly constituencies of the city, the sources said.

Addressing a rally in Uttara Kannada, PM Modi said the people of Karnataka do not support the “black culture” of abuses and said they should punish those making hurling such words by saying ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ when they cast their vote.

The Prime Minister said BJP wants to make Karnataka the number one state in India and has a roadmap and a plan.

Attacking Congress, he said a way to seek votes “is to abuse Modi”.

“What is the other way to seek votes, abuse Modi, abuses are being hurled…does anyone in Karnataka accept black culture, like a culture where anyone can abuse, accept a culture of abuse…does Karnataka forgive those who hurl abuses. What will you do this time, will you punish… when you press the button at the polling booth, punish those who abuse by saying ‘Jai Bajrangbali’,” he said.

Congress on Tuesday released its Karnataka election manifesto which talked of ban on organisations like Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India.

The Congress manifesto said the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion.

“We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations,” the manifesto said.

Polling for Karnataka elections will take place on May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.

Addressing a rally in Vijayanagara on Tuesday, PM Modi had slammed Congress over its Karnataka election manifesto and said the party was attempting to lock up those who worship Lord Hanuman.

“Today it is my great fortune to bow down to this holy land of Lord Hanuman. But see the misfortune, today when I have come here to bow down to Hanumanji, at the same time the Congress party has decided to lock up Bajrangbali in its manifesto. Earlier Shri Ram was locked up and now they have taken a pledge to lock up those who chant Jai Bajrangbali. It is the misfortune of the country that the Congress had problems even with Lord Shri Ram and now it also has problems with those who say Jai Bajrangbali,” he had said.

Addressing an election rally in Bailhongal earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi attacked Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) and said people of the state must be careful about the ‘shortcut politics’ of the two parties.

“The people of Karnataka have to be careful of the shortcut politics of the Congress and JD-S. This shortcut governance gave birth to the vote-bank politics in the country. Whenever a party does this sort of politics, they think of dividing society, just like Congress. The youth who are born in the 21st century do not want to be cut short by leaving their future in the hands of shortcut people.”

Due to this very shortcut politics, PM Modi said thousands of villages did not have electricity after so many years of independence.

Likewise, crores of Indians did not have a roof over their head, bank accounts and tap water connections.

“However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working to get rid of shortcut governance,” he said.

The accountability of the Congress leaders, PM Modi said, is towards “the royal family” in Delhi.

“The royal family controls the leaders through its remote control. JD-S is a private limited company. However, for the BJP, every family in Karnataka is our family and we have accountability towards the people,” he said.

“For whom the glorification of their family is the only agenda, they cannot worry about the sacrifices of the ordinary family and their sorrows and happiness. That is why they repeatedly abuse Veer Savarkar ji and spreads lies against him. When Baba Saheb Ambedkar was alive, he was insulted repeatedly,” he added.

Addressing an election rally at Mudbidri, PM Modi made a stinging jibe at the Congress and alleged that the grand old party wants to make the poll-bound state of Karnataka as “number-1 ATM” for serving “shahi family” sitting in the national capital.

“Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to make Karnataka the Number-1 State in each and every field of Development, whereas Congress wants to make Karnataka the Number-1 ATM for serving its ‘Shahi family’ in Delhi.

“Today, the whole world is admiring the Development and Democracy in India. Reverse-Gear Congress is defaming our country the world over. “

Amid a row over the Congress manifesto mentioning ban on Bajrang Dal outfit, PM Modi concluded his rally with ‘Bajrangbali’ chants in Mudbidri.

Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda held a roadshow in Ramanagara district.

He alleged that Congress has been putting obstacles on the path of state’s development.

“Their (Congress) manifesto is the manifestation of their mental level. People are now fighting against dynastic rules and they want development. So Bharatiya Janata Party has come forward.”

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi held a roadshow in Kalaburagi.

She alleged that BJP “looted” Rs 1.5 lakh crore from Karnataka in the last three and a half years.

Addressing a public meeting in Vijayapura, the Congress leader alleged that in the last three- and-a-half years, “they (BJP) have looted Rs 1.5 lakh crore from Karnataka”.

“With the amount of money they looted, you could have built 100 AIIMS hospitals, 30,000 smart classrooms and houses for 30 lakh poor people. Today they cannot talk about your issues in front of you, so every day they raise some new issue which has no meaning for your development.”

She said BJP made their image as “40 per cent Sarkara” in the last three years. Priyanka said,” entire Karnataka knows, contractors and farmers committed suicide while crores of cash were recovered from MLA’s son’s home and that MLA takes out parade, there is ‘jhoot and loot’. Adani earns Rs 1,600 crores in a day while a farmer of this country earns Rs 27 in a day…there is loot everywhere.”

“Modiji said he saw a dream that he’ll make Karnataka the most developed state…it was his BJP govt that looted Karnataka. When there was loot, was the PM dreaming, what was he doing…” she added.

Kumaraswamy hit out at Congress over its manifesto.

“All those things are not important. When Congress government ruled for five years, why did they not ban it then? Why are they raising the issue now? We have to change the culture of those organisations. We have to teach them how to behave in public life. That is important,” he said.

Another controversy erupted on Wednesday over BJP MLA Madan Dilawar’s reported remarks.

Congress alleged that Dilawar, a BJP MLA from Rajasthan, made a statement about Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji, saying, “He is 80 years old, and he can die anytime”.

“BJP leaders’ hatred for the tallest SC leader in the recent history of Karnataka, their hatred at the instance of PM Modi to abuse the tallest son of the soil of Karnataka is disgusting, filthy, nauseating, unacceptable and reprehensible,” Congress MP Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference.

Amid the row over Congress’s promise to ban Bajrang Dal in its manifesto for Karnataka elections, BJP leader and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said the ruling party will recite Hanuman Chalisa across Karnataka on Thursday evening.

“Randeep Singh Surjewala has stated that BJP workers do not know how to sing Hanuman Chalisa. I hereby extend an invitation to Randeep Singh Surjewala, Hanuman Chalisa will be recited at 7 pm tomorrow in all parts of the state. Come, listen and see how we recite the Hanuman Chalisa. I request all the people of the state to participate in this program,” Karandlaje said.

“Congress earlier fought against Ram Temple. They are saying they will ban Bajrang Dal in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka. They did not leave Ram that is why they are not even left as official Opposition in Parliament,” she said.