Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he would bring “dictatorship” if voted back to power in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a rally in Bhubaneswar, Kharge appealed to people to “save democracy”, and said that if Modi wins the Lok Sabha polls, there will not be another election after that.
“Like (Vladimir) Putin’s presidential election in Russia… the same will happen in India. There will be no election (after the coming one, if the BJP is voted to power)… they will use their might to rule the country… they will get elected and get 200, 300, 400 and 500 (seats)… they will even take the number to 600,” said Kharge, who is on his first visit to Odisha – which will hold Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha election – after becoming Congress president.
“You can save democracy if you want… But if you want to be a slave like under the British regime, it’s up to you,” Kharge said.
Many senior party leaders took part in the rally as the Congress eyes a revival ahead of the elections.
Referring to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA fold, Kharge said the Opposition’s INDIA bloc would not be weakened by the JD(U) leader’s exit.
“Like the country can’t be weakened by the departure of one person, the alliance has also not been weakened by the exit of one or two leaders. We will emerge stronger and work unitedly… We will work together to defeat the BJP and (Odisha Chief Minister Naveen) Patnaik,” Kharge said.
He also hit back at criticism regarding the Congress’s contribution to the country in the past 70 years. “If Congress has not done anything in 70 years, Modi would not have even become chief minister. We saved the Constitution and democracy, because of which you (Modi) became what you are today. You are now finishing democracy and the Constitution,” he said.
He accused the BJP and the RSS of trying to rule by creating division, and said Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi made supreme sacrifices to keep the country united.
“The RSS and BJP are like poison… They are snatching our rights, one after another… The rights of women, STs and SCs are being finished. What has happened in Manipur? People are being killed… women are being raped…, hundreds of vehicles and houses have been burnt. Where is Modi? Go and show your face in Manipur and Nagaland,” said Kharge.
Targeting the CM, Kharge said Patnaik cannot be like his father, Biju Patnaik, who, he said, helped the state prosper during his chief ministership. He also accused the CM of running the government through officers and took a dig at Patnaik for inducting an officer from Tamil Nadu into the party – an apparent reference to former IAS officer VK Pandian.
“Are the people in Odisha not capable enough or are they not alive? Officers of Odisha and leaders of Odisha can become ‘margdarshak’ (path finder) for the country, but you need outsiders for margdarshan?” Kharge asked.
During his one-day visit, Kharge also met Congress leaders to discuss the party’s strategy for the 2024 polls.
(With inputs from agencies)