Since 2014, a slew of litterateurs and anti-Modi politicos have been issuing distasteful remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Be it the “leaving India” or the “leaving political” jibe, they have a made a mockery of themselves as Modi has outclassed them with his phenomenal performance in Lok Sabha elections
Bengaluru: At one end, there are those who abhor the very name of Narendra Modi. And at the other end of the continuum are those who dote on him.
While some perform crazy things like getting their bodies tattooed, there are others who are ready to go the extra mile, but in the opposite direction.
Talking of those who openly express their antagonism against Prime Minister Modi, the first names from Karnataka that come to mind are:
When there were talks that the BJP prime ministerial candidate would be Narendra Modi for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, UR Ananthamurthy had said, "I would not want to live in a country where Modi is the prime minister. He (Modi) will create fear and if a fearsome man is sitting there, people will just bow down to him because a bully creates cowards."
After his wish didn’t come true and Modi went on to hold fort, he did a volte-face.
"It was too much to say because I can't go anywhere except India,” he confessed.
The litterateur passed away in 2014, owing to age-related complications.
Deve Gowda is a man who never minces words. He is shrewd, sharp and highly intelligent, but when it comes to Modi, he too has been made to eat the humble pie. After Ananthamurthy, Gowda too had said things on similar lines.
“BJP will not get 272 seats. Narendra Modi is dreaming of becoming the PM. If that happens, I shall leave Karnataka and settle somewhere else,” he had said.
To this, Modi had even invited him to Gujarat and that he would take care of him.
He wasn’t done yet. A few months ago, in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he had this to say:
“Karnataka is the main door for BJP in southern India. Myself and coalition coordination chairperson Siddaramaiah will make every effort to close this door for the BJP.”
He may have said such disgusting things about Modi and his party, but ironically, Modi won a robust majority in excess of 300 seats, and in fact, Gowda faced an ignominious defeat in Tumakuru against the BJP.
This tomfoolery didn’t stop with Gowda. His son HD Revanna too joined the bandwagon.
In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Revanna said, “Note it down in the diary what I say today because I will come back to you again - If Modi comes back in the country I will quit politics."
In spite of saying all these things, Modi won and in Karnataka, Congress and JD(S) were reduced to a seat apiece with BJP winning 25 out of 28 constituencies.
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