Cong leader takes exception to Modi's appeal to Kannadigas

Bangalore, Apr 28 (UNI) Criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for appealing to the people of Karnataka to ''erase'' the Congress from the Indian political scene, Congress General Secretary Hariprasad today said the BJP was on the path of ''extinction'' after Mr Modi's victory in the state.

Addressing newspersons here, Mr Hariprasad, who is also in-charge of the party affairs in Gujarat, took serious exception to Mr Modi's campaign speech in Mangalore and Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district yesterday.

Stating that the ''writ of the BJP'' did not hold good in Gujarat and it was adequately demonstrated in the Western state, he alleged that under the Modi regime, the law and order situation had worsened and the state was pushed to the bottom in terms of education and health care.

Strongly criticising state BJP leaders' statement that ''they would adopt the Gujarat model if the saffron party came to power in Karnataka,'' he said, ''when all other states are looking up to Karnataka to emulate its developmental model, the state BJP leaders want to follow Mr Modi's destructive policy.'' Replying to questions, he said the crisis of dissidence erupted following the announcement of party nominees for the coming Karnataka Assembly election, had blown over and expressed confidence that the party would bounce back to power on its own.

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