Bhilwara, September 6: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today said that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi have started feeling scared of the name India ever since the like-minded parties came together and formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Addressing a mammoth ‘Kisan Sammellan’ after inaugurating a five lakh litre capacity milk processing unit here today, Kharge said, Congress believes in Bharat Jodo as last year Congress leader and former president Rahul Gandhi conducted a 4,500 kiometer ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
Congress President said the BJP and the Prime Minister are scared ever since the joint opposition came together under one banner-INDIA. He said, now they were trying to replace the name India with Bharat. “What is your problem, we have already been saying, Bharat Jodo and it is already in the constitution”, he said, while remarking, “when we say unite India, they say divide India”.
Accusing the BJP government of stalling development projects initiated during Congress regime, Congress President reminded that he along with Sonia Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of a factory for manufacturing of MEMU train coaches when C P Joshi was transport minister at Centre. Unfortunately the project was later stalled by Modi government as it gets pleasure in obstructing the work done by Congress.
Countering the BJP for often asking the Congress what it did in 70 years, he asked, “Who brought land reforms? Who made tenants the owners?”, while pointing out it was the Congress which did it. “We never tell lies; we work to empower people. Indira Gandhi ji abolished privy purses and nationalised banks for the benefit of the poor. The BJP government doesn’t have the courage to do this”, he added.
Kharge told the mammoth crowd, “We gave Chambal Ghati project, Indira Gandhi canal, Mewar University, AIIMS Jodhpur, IIT Jodhpur, etc. when there was a Congress government at the Centre. So if any leader asks what has Congress done, give them this list and ask – have you made these ?”.
Referring to BJP’s allegation of promoting family politics, he said, they attack Rahul Gandhi because he took such a big step of walking on foot for 4,500 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. “Poor people, farmers, labourers, women, students and many other sections of society came for Bharat Jodo Yatra. We carried the message of uniting India through the 4500 km-long Yatra”, he added.
Urging people to bring the Congress back to power he promised, “we will get you even more benefits … this is our promise. Rajasthan is a good model of poor people’s welfare and social justice. People are getting direct benefit in their accounts”.
Lashing out at the BJP for trying to intimidate Congress workers, he said, they are referring to ‘Red Diary’ and other things. “Don’t try to intimidate us. Rahul Gandhi has said-don’t be afraid”, he pointed out.
The Congress president alleged that the poor people have been looted under Modi’s rule. He reminded them how he promised to provide 2 crore jobs every year. He had promised to give Rs. 15 lakhs to everyone, Mr Kharge pointed out, asking where has that money vanished?
Accusing the BJP of stealing the democratic mandate, he said, wherever a Congress government is formed, the BJP tries to bring it down. “They brought down our governments by either using money power or through other means. BJP does this with elected governments and then talks of morality!”, he pointed out, while praising Mr Gehlot for not letting the Congress government fall in Rajasthan. He said, the self-respecting Congress MLAs saved the Rajasthan government, otherwise it would also have been brought down.
Referring to recent CAG revelations revealing 7 scams worth Rs 8-9 lakh crores, he asked, why was Modi not taking action against the guilty? He pointed out how the BJP defamed the Congress about 2G and so called coal scams when there was nothing in these.
Others present on the occasion included Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, party in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, CP Joshi and others.
