‘Modi abusing Gandhi family as he has nothing to his credit’
Congress leading in Lok Sabha polls worries Modi, says Kharge, accusing him of lacking achievements
Kharge authorised to decide Amethi, Raebareli candidates, says Congress
GURMITKAL (KARNATAKA): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi abuses the Gandhi family because he does not have any achievements to his credit.
Congress is leading in the two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, which has worried Modi, Kharge said during a public meeting in this town in Yadgir district.
Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Kalaburagi, which is going to polls on May seven.
Gurmitkal is part of this constituency.
“Everyone knows what was there before and after Modi’s birth in this country but he still abuses Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lalbahadur Shastri, Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and me because he has nothing to his credit”, he said.
“Modi says out of frustration that Congress is taking away everyone’s property and distributing it among Muslims. This is neither written in the Constitution nor mentioned in our manifesto anywhere,” the 81-year-old said.
He explained that Congress has only said that it will give to the poor whatever is due for them but “never spoke about Hindu-Muslim.”
Kharge further said that his party had done it during former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi’s tenure through land reforms, nationalisation of banks and Life Insurance Corporation. These were done for the poor, he added.
“Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi brought MNREGS (during UPA rule). Did Modi do anything like that?” he asked.
He told the crowd that Congress brought the Food Security Act giving 35 kg food grains every month to poor people.
However, Modi started giving five kg extra during COVID-19 pandemic and started boasting that he is giving to 80 crore people of this country, Kharge said.
“You (Modi) gave it because we brought the law, which no one can snatch. This is the work we had done.”
“Modi says he is going to strengthen the country. Are we going to weaken it? It was we who broke Pakistan into two. What did you do?
“Modi talks so much. He says he has a 56-inch chest. What will we do with a 56-inch chest ? Tell us what you did for stomach? What are you giving us for meals?” he questioned.
“Today, price rise is an issue worrying poor people.”
NEW DELHI: Amid speculation over whether Gandhi family members would contest the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh and Raebareli, the Congress on Monday said its Central Election Committee (CEC) has authorised party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to decide the candidates for the two constituencies.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress has urged the top party leadership to field Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the two seats. Asked when the candidates for the two seats would be announced and whether Gandhi family members would be fielded from there, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “The president has been authorised to decide the candidates. Elections are not run in a hidden manner, they are run with all paraphernalia before everyone. You will get to know when the candidates are announced.”
“In our party, such decisions are not taken by two people in (behind) closed doors, the CEC has put forward its views and with its and the president’s nod, the candidates will be decided,” she said. Rahul Gandhi contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala’s Wayanad, where polling took place on Friday in the second phase of the polls.
He had said earlier that he will follow “whatever order” he gets from his party.