Narendra Modi to campaign in Karnataka after Dasara

Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar on Sunday said the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Narendra Modi will campaign in the state after the Dasara festival.

Speaking at the inauguration of Adamya Chetana Utsava, where he celebrated his 54th birthday, he said the party had announced Modi to be the prime ministerial candidate keeping in mind the current political scenario.

“Not only the BJP, even the people of the country want Modi to be the next prime minister. People have recognised Modi’s contribution to Gujarat’s development by becoming the chief minister for a third time, and he for sure is going to be the prime minister of the country,” he said. He asked all anti-Congress parties to unite and fight with the BJP to form a new government.

Kumar also termed Jnanpith award winner UR Ananthamurthy’s recent comments on Modi irresponsible. Ananthamurthy had recently said that he would like to live in a country where Modi is prime minister.

Kannada writer and historian Chidanda Murthy also criticised Ananthamurthy’s comments. “A intellectual has stated that he will leave the country if Modi becomes the prime minister.

Everyone has the right to say a person does not deserve to be prime minister, but to say that he will leave the country is not a responsible statement. On the contrary, I would like to state that I will not leave the country even if Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister. This is my country, and I have the right to live here,” he said.

He added that Modi should become the prime minister and said that those who call him a fundamentalist should note that not a single communal incident had taken place since he became the chief minister.