Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should walk the talk and quit public life for indulging in Hindu-Muslim rhetoric everyday and 'fostering hatred' in society, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said.
In an interview to PTI, Kharge alleged PM Modi's intentions are not clean as he is giving daily 'hate speeches' with Hindu-Muslim rhetoric during the poll campaign.
Noting that the PM talks about 'taking away buffaloes' and 'giving 15 percent budget to Muslims', Kharge said, "By saying such things, he is himself creating division in society".
"On the other hand he claims that he has no right to be in public life if he talks Hindu-Muslim. As you talk such things everyday, you should quit public life," the Congress president said.
Urging Modi to see his own record of speeches on Hindu-Muslim, the Congress president said on this too, 'he is speaking a lie'.
"At least, he should stick to what he has said. He does not even accept his mistake and apologise. On one hand he says such things, while on the other hand he says he will not be fit to be in public life if he talks Hindu-Muslim," he noted.
Modi had earlier told a TV channel that he has no right to be in public life if he does Hindu-Muslim.
In an interview to PTI videos recently, Modi said he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as 'special citizens'.
Modi also accused the Congress of constantly violating the secular spirit of the Constitution, and claimed that his campaign speeches are aimed at exposing the opposition parties’ bid to appease minorities with vote bank politics.
"I have not spoken a word against minorities. I am only talking against the vote bank politics of Congress. Congress is working against the Constitution, that’s what I have been saying," Modi had said.
However, Kharge claimed that the prime minister is giving hate speeches to polarise society.
"While he talks of taking everyone along, but to divide votes, he continues to give hate speeches. Did he ever condemn those who spoke against the Constitution or Muslims or on instances of crimes against women and urinating on tribals. Did he ever speak against them? 'He is spending crores on electioneering. His intentions are not clean as he gives Hindu-Muslim hate speeches to create division in society and is spreading hatred. That is why our leader Rahul Gandhi has said that he will set up 'Mohabbat ki dukaan',"he asserted.
Asked if time has come to end the politics of hate and vendetta, the Congress leader said in a democracy it is the BJP which is spreading hatred while we in the Congress are setting up 'mohabbat ki dukaan' while being inclusive and taking everyone along.
"This is Modi ji's mistake, as he repeats such things. He wants to hold a one-man show. His thought is that only one leader can run everything, the entire country," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.
On PM Modi accusing the Congress of resorting to appeasement politics, Kharge said helping the poor people in any community is not appeasement.
"Stopping 'anyay' (injustice) on any community is not appeasement. They try to polarise during elections. They try to project anything we do as appeasement. I would only say that the BJP does appeasement politics. By giving the poor something, or giving scholarship to the poor, giving education through special schools for Muslims cannot be termed as appeasement," he noted.
The Congress president asserted that the party is not against any individual or Modi but only against the ideology he follows.
"The message is for Modi ji's ideology. We are not against any individual or Modi ji, we are against the ideology he follows. Their ideology tries to create a division in society and keep Dalits, backwards in status quo, all that will stop," he said.
Kharge also accused Modi of using corrupt practices to remain in power and of toppling opposition governments in states through such means.
He claimed that the prime minister's image has been hurt as he has inducted several leaders who are facing corruption charges and those who have followed opposing ideologies all their life, only to remain in power.
On the prime minister's assertion that leaders involved in corruption will be behind bars permanently after June 4, Kharge said, "The PM wants to keep them permanently in jail but only if the law allows it. But, some leaders have been taken by the BJP who were earlier dubbed as corrupt. Later the same people were sitting in their lap and some were made MPs and even chief ministers and deputy ministers".
The BJP is doing everything for power and are taking even the corrupt even at the cost of their own party leaders and by neglecting them.
"Still the PM says he is against corruption. They are running their politics on corrupt practices and have taken to such means to topple opposition governments in states," Kharge said.
The prime minister had said at a poll rally that after June 4 the corrupt leaders shall remain in jail forever.
"It is different for those leaders who join the BJP on ideology. The leaders who have remained in the Congress for over five decades are being inducted in the BJP and by doing so, the prime minister's image has been hurt," Kharge said.