Bhatkal, April 26: In a scathing attack, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify why the BJP gave tickets to Karnataka's tainted Reddy brothers to contest in the May 12 assembly elections.

"Modi, who talks about fighting corruption, must explain to the people why he is supporting the corrupt Reddy brothers by giving ticket to contest in the state assembly polls," said Gandhi at a public meeting in this coastal town.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) selected G. Karunakara Reddy and G. Somashekar Reddy, elder and younger brothers of the mining scam-tainted G. Janardhan Reddy, to contest from Harpanahalli and Ballari seats in the Ballari district.

The party has also fielded Lallesh Reddy, nephew of the Reddy brothers, from the BTM Layout segment in Bengaluru against state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy of the ruling Congress.

Accusing Modi of allegedly changing the country's premier investigation agency CBI to "Central Bureau of Illegal Mining", Gandhi charged the Prime Minister with supporting the Reddy family in the state.

"We want the people of Karnataka to be a part of the government and not of the Reddy brothers. Why is Modi supporting and protecting the corrupt? We will never allow them to loot the state," he said.

Janardhan Reddy was arrested and jailed for about two years after the state's Lokayukta named him in the multi-crore iron ore mining scam in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for about a decade (2001-10).

Gandhi also accused Modi of allegedly writing off the loans of rich industrialists but being indifferent to farmers.

"When I had asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to help farmers, he immediately waived off Rs 8,000 crore worth of loans," he added.

Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound southern state starting Thursday, launched the ruling party's campaign for the elections in the coastal region.

He will release the party's election manifesto in the port city of Mangaluru on Friday, along with senior leaders like Karnataka in-charge K.C. Venugopal and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

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New York (PTI): India has pushed for reforms in the Commonwealth grouping to make it more reflective of the "realities of contemporary times", as it emphasised its commitment to the organisation's core values and principles at a ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly here.

Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), represented India at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting (CFAMM) 2025 on Monday.

At the meeting, George spoke about India's "commitment to the core values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter as well as reform of the Commonwealth to better reflect the realities of contemporary times", the MEA said in a social media post on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Samoa Deputy Prime Minister Toelupe Maoiautele Poumulinuku Onesemo.

The CFAMM is a high-level forum that brings together foreign ministers of Commonwealth member states to deliberate on ways to strengthen collaboration and develop joint responses to shared challenges across the association of 56 countries.

The ministers at CFAMM "expressed overwhelming support for the Commonwealth’s role as a champion of multilateralism and collective action at a time of profound global upheaval", the association said in a press release.

In his opening remarks, Toelupe said: “The role we play at this Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting is crucial, and the issues discussed today are key to implementing the mandates of the CHOGM Leaders from Samoa, to help build a resilient Commonwealth.”

Leading her first CFAMM as Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey called on member states to reinforce the grouping's unique convening power, the release said.

“The multilateral system is under serious pressure, but it remains our greatest tool. Without it, the fractures in our world will deepen. With it, we can still find solutions... in a world defined by pressure, the Commonwealth must be defined by purpose,” she said.