Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress of appeasing terrorists and credited the BJP with breaking the back of terror and ending the game of appeasement.

“People of Karnataka should never forget Congress’s history and thinking. Congress’s history is about appeasing terror and terrorists. When the Batla House encounter happened in Delhi, there were tears in the eyes of the party’s top leader, hearing about the death of terrorists,” Modi said at an election meeting at Chitradurga in poll-bound Karnataka.

The PM said: “When surgical strikes happened when air strikes happened, Congress raised questions on the capability of the country’s defence forces.”

“In Karnataka, you have seen how Congress is encouraging terrorism. Congress had left Karnataka at the mercy of terrorists,” he said, adding that for a prosperous Karnataka, it was important for the state to be safe.

The PM claimed that Congress had an “old track record of false guarantees”. In this connection, he recalled that the Congress in 2012 had “tried to confuse the people of Gujarat with such false guarantees”, and “some people had even tried to loot the poor people” in the name of guarantees. “It’s such a situation for Congress in Gujarat now, that it has to get people from other states to hold its flag,” he added.

Noting that the Congress in Karnataka too was getting “forms of its guarantees filled”, the PM said, “There should be an inquiry on how much bribe the Congress is taking by showing the forms of false guarantees.”

Asserting that the BJP was seeking votes with a road map for a developed Karnataka, Modi, without mentioning any names said, “Congress has only two issues — it is asking for votes in the name of retirement and to make (sic) Chief Minister one last time in their manifesto.”

He was apparently referring to former Chief Minister M Siddaramaiah, who has announced that this will be his last election.

Hailing the BJP manifesto released yesterday, the PM said it was a very good document, which had the road map to make Karnataka the number one state. “It has the blueprint for modern infrastructure, it has priority for women and youth empowerment…” he said.

Later, addressing a public meeting at Sindhanur, Modi said, “BJP is the only party which has the road map of development. The double engine has the resolve and the power.” He said the only goal and resolution of the BJP was to make Karnataka, the no 1 state in the country. Only the double-engine government of the BJP could ensure true development.