Guwahati: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here on Saturday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not implement even one of his electoral promises but keeps on claiming that he did a lot of work for the country.
Mr Kharge, who on Saturday addressed an election rally at Barpeta, told reporters, “He (PM Modi) did not implement even one of the electoral promises he gave. Still, he says that Modi did a lot of work for the country. They (BJP) speak so much about patriotism that Nehru is nothing before them, Indira Gandhi is nothing before them and Lal Bahadur Shastri is nothing before them - Modi is everything.”
He went on saying, “They even propagate the idea that India attained independence after 2014 and the country was not independent before that - all of these are reflected in his words. What is sad is that those who were nurtured by the Congress party and became leaders also say the same.”
Coming down heavily on leaders who recently defected to BJP, Mr Kharge said, “If Congress was so bad, why did you spend 30-40 years of your life on it unnecessarily?...I don't know what has happened to them, but they too criticise Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.”
Mr Kharge said that the BJP never fought for the independence of India, but Congress is a party of those who made India independent.
The Congress president stressed that the 2024 election is very important as it is to save the Constitution and democracy. “This election is very important. It is not an election to humiliate any person. This election is to showcase the democracy of the country. This election is to save the Constitution. Fighting for rising inflation and unemployment. But the people of the government, especially Modi, always say that Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas. There was no development, everything was destroyed. GST is imposed on farmers, on food and drinks. He told the youth that he would provide two crore jobs. Farmers were promised to double their income. Nothing was implemented,” said Mr Kharge.
Responding to Maha Vikas Aghadi not fielding any Muslim candidate in Maharashtra, Mr Kharge said, "There is an alliance of three parties. All three parties make decisions together. There are some misunderstandings, too. They will be compensated for Rajya Sabha and Assembly seats. There is no problem from our side.”
Further, lashing out at PM Modi over his "tight slap" reaction after the Supreme Court rejected requests for 100 per cent VVPAT verification of votes punched into EVMs, Mr Kharge said that it is a habit of Modi to say such things.
"It is Modi's habit to speak such things. The plea was by an advocate, not my party. It was done by lawyers and NGOs," he said.
Reacting to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s----no need to meet PM Modi unless he intends to Join BJP,--- remark, Mr Kharge said, “Why is he (the Assam CM) bothered?” When asked about his reaction to the Assam CM remark, Mr Kharge said that he asked to speak to Modi (the Prime Minister), not the CM. “I have spoken to Modi, not the CM. I am the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha. I was also in the Lok Sabha. So, I have little competence in Parliamentary affairs. So, who is my opponent in Parliament? Modi. So, I will speak to Modi. Why is he (Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) bothered? Let him face our people here and then speak about me,” said the Congress president.
