Modi first PM to narrate his agony instead of...: Priyanka Gandhi in Karnataka

Priyanka said it was not in the interest of the country and the state when people are "not respected, politicians forget that it is the people who make them leaders, and the governments are formed only to grab power and make money".

Dharwad (Karnataka): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said Narendra Modi is the only Prime Minister she has ever seen who narrates his agony before people instead of listening to their woes. "I have seen many Prime Ministers right from Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh but this (Modi) is the first Prime Minister who instead of listening to the woes of people narrates his agony to them," Vadra said at a public rally in Navalgund town of Dharwad district ahead of May 10 elections in Karnataka.

She alleged that the BJP government in the state does not respect anyone, be it the people, their votes or the state it was ruling, senior leader Jagadish Shettar who recently joined Congress after being denied a ticket, and the entire Lingayat community. "Corruption is done so brazenly that those who are corrupt are getting ticket (to contest election) and those who are not are denied a ticket. He (Modi) makes a phone call to those who are corrupt and drives away those who are honest," Vadra said.

It is not in the interest of the country and the state when people are not respected, politicians forget that it is the people who make them leaders, and the governments are formed only to grab power and make money, she added. "Contractors are committing suicide; school management and contractors' associations write to the Prime Minister about corruption, but nothing happens. There is so much corruption that an MLA's son is caught with Rs 8 crore cash, but no action is taken," Vadra alleged. With just days to go for polling, the Congress is going all out in its campaigning to defeat the ruling BJP in the May 10 election. The results will be declared on May 13.

Earlier in the day, Vadra met the protesting wrestlers at the national capital's Jantar Mantar and sought to know the contents of the FIR stating that she does not have "any expectations from the Prime Minister". She visited Jantar Mantar as the wrestlers' protest entered its seventh day. The protestors have been demanding the registration of FIR against the WFI chief and his arrest into the allegations of sexual harassment. Two separate FIRs were registered on Friday following the Supreme Court's notice to Delhi Police into the plea filed by the wrestlers.