Democracy will end if 'Modi-Shah sarkar' returns to power: Kharge

SATNA: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed that democracy will end in the country if the “Modi-Shah sarkar” returns to power, launching an attack on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, Kharge said they will also scrap the Constitution.

“They will scrap the Constitution scripted by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. If you want to keep it alive, the right to vote for women, labourers and farmers, then vote for the Congress and its 'panja' (hand) symbol,” he appealed to the voters.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address the rally in Satna but his visit was cancelled as he took ill, a party leader said earlier, adding that Kharge would fill in for him.

The Satna Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the second phase on April 26.

“Democracy will end if Modi-Shah's government returns to power,” Kharge claimed addressing the public meeting held in support of Congress candidate Siddharth Kushwaha.

Accusing PM Modi of telling lies, Kharge said the PM keeps talking about “Modi ki guarantee” without taking his party’s name. “He had said that if he became the prime minister, Rs 15 lakh would be given to every person by bringing back the black money stashed abroad. Did you get it,” he asked.

Modi had also told the young people of this country that 2 crore jobs would be generated every year, said Kharge continuing his criticism of the PM.

“Now 10 years have gone. Did you all get 20 crore jobs… Ask the BJP about their 20 crore jobs (promise). Ask them where is Rs 15 lakh when they come seeking your votes,” the senior Congress leader said.

Kharge said Modi had promised to double farmers’ income but that too has not happened.

Listing out the prices of cooking gas cylinders, milk, flour and pulses when the Congress-led UPA was in power before 2014, Kharge said rates of these commodities have skyrocketed in the past ten years.

“These are Modi's acche din (good days). This man always says I will bring acche din. He tells so many lies. That’s why I call him ‘jhoothon ka sardar’,” Kharge said.

The country's unemployment rate is the highest in the past 45 years but there is no account of it, he said.

Kharge also claimed that the country’s assets like airports, roads, land, public sector undertakings and big factories are being sold to “two buyers”.

“Who are these two men? Adani and Ambani are buyers. Who are the sellers? Modi and Shah,” Kharge said.

Loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of rich people have been waived but the loans of poor farmers are yet to be written off, he said. Farm loans of Rs 72,000 crore were waived under the leadership of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge also slammed PM Modi and Union minister Shah for taking those into the BJP fold who were "corrupt" till they were in other parties.

It seems Shah has a "big laundry with a washing machine to wash those who are corrupt" before inducting them into the BJP, the Congress leader claimed.

Besides Satna, Rewa, Tikamgarh, Khajuraho, Damoh and Hoshangabad seats will vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 26.