Modi is confusing voters, I challenge Yeddyurappa, PM to an open debate: Siddaramaiah

After Congress President Rahul Gandhi, now Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for an open debate. In the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly elections 2018, political slugfest has erupted and charges are being levelled every day. On Monday, Siddaramaiah came out with a newspaper advertisement, challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa for an open debate. Siddaramaiah accused both the leaders of making false accusation and allegations on Karnataka government. Posting the advertisement on Twitter, Siddaramaiah wrote: PM Modi is deliberately confusing Karnataka voters with his bombastic speeches on non-issues. All hot air & no substance. My contest is not with him. It is with Yeddyurappa. Asserting that “we have delivered as promised” the Karnataka Congress has asked in the advertisement, “Stop making false accusations, allegations. Why not debate with facts and let the people of Karnataka decide who is truthful”. During a rally on Sunday, PM Modi had alleged that 'Congress is cursing me because they don't have any development plan for the state'. Siddaramaiah advertisement appears to reply Narendra Modi. “In the interest of 6.5 crores Kannadiga’s future, let us have an open debate about our plans for Karnataka before the people of the state. I am open to come to any place on the date and time suggested by you both,” said Siddaramaiah in the newspaper ad. The ad also carries a signature of the Karnataka Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah wrote on Twitter: My contest is not with him. It is with Yeddyurappa. I challenge him to an open debate on issues on a single platform. Will he accept? Modi is also welcome!" In a tweet late on Sunday night, Rahul Gandhi once again accused PM Modi of taking false credit for work done by the Congress party. He tweeted, “The Karnataka Govt's revolutionary SC/ST sub-plan, allocates 24% of all resources to Dalits & Adivasis as per their % of population. Since PM Modi is skilled at repackaging & claiming credit for Congress schemes, this is a good one for him to copy centrally.” On Sunday, the Congress president had targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying their “fascist ideology” is that members of the Dalit and tribal community “must continue to exist at the bottom rung of society”. Source: DNA