Karnataka minister Shivaraj Tangadagi stoked a major controversy by asking for youths or students chanting ‘Modi Modi’s slogans to be slapped. The remark has evoked strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Addressing a Congress workers’ meeting at Karatagi in Koppal district, the minister said the BJP should be ashamed to ask for votes in the coming Lok Sabha polls as ‘it had failed on the development front’.

“They should be ashamed, with what face are they coming to seek votes. They are incompetent to do even a single development work. They had promised to give two crore jobs. Did they give jobs to anyone? When asked for jobs they say — sell ‘pakoras’…” the minister was quoted by PTI as saying.

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“If any students or youths still say ‘Modi, Modi’ (slogans), they should be slapped… One has to be ashamed. Is it a small thing? They promised two crore jobs a year, it should have been 20 crore jobs now in 10 years,” he added.

Lashing out at the Congress, senior BJP leader C T Ravi said on social platform X,”Realising that CONgress is going to lose the upcoming Lok Sabha elections very badly, CONgis are stooping to new lows. And they call PM Modi a dictator!”

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya too attacked the Congress, saying that political parties which have targeted the youth have not survived.

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“Congress minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, who is the Minister of Culture in the Karnataka government, asks students, who chant slogans in favour of PM Modi, to be slapped… Just because Young India has rejected Rahul Gandhi, again and again, and wants PM Modi to lead the country, Congress will assault them? This is shameful…” Malviya said.

“No political party, which has targeted the Youth, ever survived. The Young carry our collective aspiration and are entrusted with shaping the destiny of our nation,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)