Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Friday responded to the Congress’ jibes at his error during a press conference in Davanagere district on March 27, when he had said the government of BS Yeddyurappa, the current president of the BJP state unit, was corrupt.

“In a slip of tongue, I said that the Yeddyurappa government is corrupt instead of Siddaramaiah’s and the entire Congress party started to rejoice,” The Times of India quoted Shah as saying. “I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that I might have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka will not.”

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The BJP leader, who is on a two-day tour of the state ahead of the May 12 elections, met the Mysuru royal family during the day, the Hindustan Times reported. He met Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the head of the family, his mother Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and wife Trishika Kumari Devi.

Later, Shah told reporters that that if his party comes to power in Karnataka, it would arrest those suspected of killing 24 BJP activists. “They are roaming scot-free,” Shah said. “They are being allowed to commit more murders. The Siddaramaiah government’s end is nearing and when the BJP forms the government, we will track the culprits from the abyss.”

The BJP president also visited the family of a one of the murdered party activists, Raju, in Kyathamaranahalli. “Entire BJP stands united with Raju’s family,” Shah said. “Such politics of violence must be uprooted from the peaceful land of Karnataka.”

Earlier, Shah’s meeting with Dalit leaders in Mysuru was disrupted when protestors shouted slogans condemning Union minister Ananthkumar Hegde’s alleged remark comparing Dalit protestors with dogs. Hegde had made the comment in Ballari city on January 21. The BJP president distanced himself from Hegde’s comment, and said neither he nor his party had anything to do with it, News 18 reported.