Congress launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre yesterday when it said that the BJP was adopting ‘cheap tactics’ ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls so as to get people’s sympathy in a ‘filmy manner’.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, a national-level spokesperson of the Congress Party, issued a statement in New Delhi yesterday, touching several issues.  “Union Minister Anantakumar Hegde said some time back that there was a conspiracy to kill him by way of a car accident; however, much to his disappointment, a police inquiry has now revealed that the lorry which hit his car belonged to a local BJP functionary.  Was Kumar attempting to make an internal issue public?

“Fear of defeat in Karnataka Assembly polls is omnipresent in BJP president Amit Shah’s face.  When he recently garlanded Basavanna’s statue, the garland fell off his grip and to the ground, signifying his tense mood as well as the fact that Basavanna didn’t approve of Shah’s tactics and ways of functioning.  Doesn’t the BJP have any leaders in Karnataka to campaign for it?

“Doesn’t it believe in former chief-minister Yediyurappa’s stature?  Why does the BJP bring all senior leaders from many States to campaign for the party in Karnataka?  Has it lost hope in its State leaders?  Why did chose an M.P. outside Karnataka in the recent Rajya Sabha polls; did it want to convey the message that the party didn’t find any Kannadigas worth to be made an M.P.?

“Amit Shah says Centre provided lots of grants to Karnataka in the past.  The reality is that the Centre provided the State Rs.1434 crores in April last year while it provided Rs.8195 crores to Maharashtra, Rs.3984 crores to Gujarat, Rs.2153 crores to Gujarat (all BJP-ruled States) during the corresponding period; if this is not favouritism, what else is?” the statement concluded.