Chikkaballapur, April 20 (Reporter) Taking exception to Congress party's newspaper advertisement, senior-most NDA leader HD Deve Gowda credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with converting the 'chembu' or emptiness inherited from the Congress into an 'akshaya patra', an inexhaustible vessel, through his leadership and policies. The Congress had placed a newspaper advertisement describing Narendra Modi-led government's contributions to Karnataka as 'chembu'. Displaying the contentious advertisement, Gowda expressed his disappointment with the Congress's approach towards PM Modi's contributions to Karnataka. "The Congress government handed over a 'chembu' to Narendra Modi in 2014. But he has now turned that 'chembu' into an 'akshaya patra'," he thundered at the NDA rally here on Saturday. The former Prime Minister claimed that it was Congress who left an 'emptiness' or 'chembu' for Modi when he assumed office as Prime Minister in 2014. He accused the Congress-led government, under the leadership of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, of being embroiled in corruption scandals and alleged that they looted the country's wealth during their 10-year tenure from 2004 to 2014. During his address, Gowda held PM Modi's hand, seated beside him, and defended him against the Congress party's allegations. He stated, "The Congress in Karnataka is trying to target a great person like Mr. Modi who has strived for the upliftment of oppressed sections and the development of the country." Deve Gowda also voiced his concerns over the prevailing water scarcity in approximately ten districts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Chikkaballapura, and Kolar. He proposed reaching out to PM Modi to address the pressing water crisis affecting the region. The former PM emphasised the importance of securing victories in all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka to gain the moral authority needed for approaching PM Modi with the request for assistance in resolving the water scarcity issue. In his speech, Gowda took a swipe at the guarantee schemes of Congress, suggesting that they have been ineffective in tackling the drinking water problem. He indirectly slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent speech in Kolar, choosing not to delve into analysing its content...////...