Kolar (Karnataka), June 13 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy on Saturday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds the record for being the longest‑serving Prime Minister elected repeatedly in a democratic system, and accused Congress leaders of lacking clarity about India’s political history.

Speaking to reporters in Kolar, Narayanaswamy expressed confidence in the BJP’s future prospects. He said he believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi would continue as Prime Minister for two more terms and stated that India would become the world’s number one economy by 2047.

Commenting on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Narayanaswamy accused Congress of opposing the exercise out of fear. He compared the revision process to removing weeds from a cultivated field and argued that only duplicate or ineligible names would be removed from voter lists.

He also alleged that the BJP had spent years correcting mistakes committed by Congress governments and claimed that the country’s development had been delayed because of Congress policies.

Narayanaswamy said Congress leaders, including KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad, were making statements without understanding the facts. He asserted that PM Modi had governed the country for a longer period than Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi or Manmohan Singh under a democratic electoral framework.

He said Congress leaders should learn to respect democracy, adding that PM Modi had repeatedly contested and won elections in a democratic system and had achieved a record for long‑term governance.

Questioning the Congress party’s claims regarding former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Narayanaswamy alleged that Nehru became Prime Minister before the establishment of India’s constitutional democratic system and was not elected through a popular mandate at the time. He claimed that Nehru’s appointment came under a transitional arrangement following Independence.

Referring to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he alleged that the Emergency period imposed during her tenure represented a deviation from democratic principles, arguing that her rule should not be considered a model of democratic governance.

Narayanaswamy maintained that Narendra Modi had served the longest period as Prime Minister after being elected through constitutional and democratic processes and said Congress lacked the moral authority to question that record.

On the issue of rising cooking gas prices, he attributed the situation to global conflicts and their impact on energy supplies. He also recalled that the UPA government under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had once decided to limit subsidised LPG cylinders and referred to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to that decision at the time.

Drawing a comparison between the Congress‑led governments and the Modi administration, Narayanaswamy claimed there was a vast difference in governance standards. He described the Modi government as corruption‑free and alleged that large‑scale corruption had taken place during the tenures of Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

He further argued that public awareness about politics and governance had significantly increased in recent decades and credited the Modi government with bringing greater transparency in administration. According to him, India had improved its economic standing globally, while infrastructure sectors such as roads and railways had witnessed substantial development.

At the same time, he criticised the Congress government’s verification of beneficiaries under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, alleging that names were being removed arbitrarily and describing the exercise as unfair to beneficiaries.

Responding to remarks by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge regarding the RSS, Narayanaswamy said Kharge had not been made a minister to target the BJP and should instead work for justice and governance. He also remarked that the RSS had existed long before the political careers of present‑day Congress leaders.

On the ongoing controversy surrounding the Dharmasthala case, Narayanaswamy said there was no need for an investigation and described Dharmasthala as a sacred place. He alleged that attempts were being made to tarnish its reputation through a conspiracy.

–IANS

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