Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
The Congress claimed on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “frustrated” and “afraid of invisible voters” who support the grand old party, and that he was utilizing communal polarization to get votes, with the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections just one day away.
AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Modi during a press conference, asking why the Prime Minister was concerned about the BJP when they were so sure they would win the Lok Sabha elections and the Congress was nothing.
In addition, he attacked Modi for his previous remarks about the regarding “mangalsutra” remark and claimed that the party leaders have given their lives in defense of the country.
The Congress leader questioned if any BJP-RSS leaders had ever made sacrifices for the country, claiming they were not even involved in the national struggle.
“For elections, Modi ji is lying to the people that their mangalsutra shall not be safe. Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even happened once?” Kharge said.
He went on to explain the sacrifices made by Congress leaders, pointing out that Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru gave their mansions for the freedom fight, and Indira Gandhi had donated her jewelry during the 1962 war.
The AICC head said he had visited almost ten to twelve states and that voters there were responding favorably to his party, stating that the Congress had high hopes following the conclusion of the first round of voting.
“I hope the undercurrent, that I can say, is not visible, but Modiji is afraid of these invisible voters who will come out in the election, and that’s why he is always criticising the Congress,” Kharge told reporters here.
He questioned, if the BJP is so confident that it will win 400 seats this time, why is the saffron party accepting corrupt individuals into its ranks?
“You (the BJP) say on one side that Modi never tolerates corruption. Then you purchase…instead of purchase, I will say you lured nearly 444 MLAs, irrespective of parties which they belong to,” he further said.
He alleged the BJP also welcomed 23 big people, including chief ministers, contractors and others in the past and as soon as they joined the saffron party, “they became clean.”
Taking a dig at BJP, he further said as long as they were with the Congress or other opposition parties, those leaders were very corrupt.
“I am not able to understand that a man who ruled this country for nearly 10 years as a PM and for nearly 13 and a half years as a chief minister is not able to distinguish who is corrupt…who is good…and who is bad,” he said.
With PTI Inputs
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