Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (centre) with top brass Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: X/@shemin_joy
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday warned I.N.D.I.A partners to be prepared for more attacks from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the Opposition bloc is "gaining more ground".
In his remarks at the start of the meeting attended by over 60 leaders from 28 parties, Kharge recalled Modi's attack on the bloc, comparing them with a terrorist organisation and as a symbol of slavery.
"The success of both our meetings, first in Patna and second in Bengaluru can be measured by the fact that the Prime Minister in his subsequent speeches has not just attacked I.N.D.I.A but has also compared the name of our beloved country with a terrorist organisation and a symbol of slavery," he said.
"We should be prepared for more attacks in the coming months, more raids and arrests due to this government's vendetta politics. The more ground our alliance gains the more the BJP government will misuse agencies against our leaders. It has done the same in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bengal. In fact last week, it was done in Jharkhand and in Chhattisgarh," he said.
Kharge felt I.N.D.I.A has successfully held the government accountable both within and outside Parliament as a united front.
"Our strength makes the govt nervous and which is why it has further bulldozed important bills in parliament, suspended our MPs on flimsy grounds, filed privilege motions against us, switched off our mikes, not allowed cameras to cover our protests and blatantly censored our speeches on Sansad TV," he said.
Kharge tore into Modi-led BJP, questioning the "protection" enjoyed by those committing crimes against women and those indulging in communal politics.
He said every section of our society — be it the farmers, youth, women, the marginalised, middle class, public intellectuals, NGOs and even journalists — all have been at the receiving end of BJP’s authoritarian misrule, adding 140 crore Indians are looking towards them with the "hope to relieve them of their miseries".
"The communal poison that the BJP and RSS have spread over the last 9 years is now seen in hate crimes against innocent train passengers and against innocent school children. It is no surprise that when people involved in gruesome rape are released and felicitated in one part of the county, it encourages horrific crimes and parading of naked women in the other. In Modi ji’s India the wife of a Kargil brave heart is also not spared," he added.
It is the BJP govt’s apathy towards the marginalised that makes their leaders urinate on poor tribals and dalits and the culprits are left to roam freely, he alleged.
Refering to federalism, he accused Modi of wanting to keep states under check.
"States are being denied their share of the tax revenues. MNREGA dues to Opposition ruled states are not being given. Special grants and state specific grants are not released as per recommendation of the Finance Commission. Investors are forced to move their investments and projects out of opposition-ruled states to states ruled by the BJP," he said.
He alleged the BJP wants complete control of agencies and institutions - it is adamant on controlling the appointment of ED Chief, the CBI Director, Election Commissioners or even judges of courts across the country.