Free Karnataka from Congress: Amit Shah

Sending a strong political signal on his first visit to the state, Bharatiya Janata Party’s national president Amit Shah has given a call to “free Karnataka from Congress”.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the construction of a martyrs’ memorial at the village, where 200 people were allegedly killed by the henchmen of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1948 for hoisting the national flag and seeking unification with India.

Mr. Shah’s visit to the village is being viewed by the political leaders within and outside the BJP as having political significance that goes beyond marking a historical event.

According to sources in the BJP, Mr. Shah’s visit is part of a multi-pronged strategy that aims to strengthen the party both in Karnataka and neighbouring Telangana, by using the Gorta struggle as a launch pad.