Modi will not be the Prime Minister this time, says Kharge
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Patna, Opposition Mahagathbandhan leaders on Saturday claimed that after three phases of the Lok Sabha elections involving 285 seats, it had become clear it would be “very di§cult for Modi to form government” and that “Modi will not be the Prime Minister” this time. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that “the Modi government is a government of speaking lies”.
“There is huge resentment among the people against the BJP and this NDA government at the Centre. Unemployment and rising in¢ation are the pressing issues for the people, which have become an unbearable load on them,” Mr. Kharge said, adding, “This time, Modi will not be the PM.”
“I have not seen a Prime Minister creating so much division in society. He [Mr. Modi] only loves the word ‘M’ — Muslim, mutton, mangalsutra and machhali (sh),” Mr. Kharge said in a reference to Mr. Modi’s speaking of them in his poll meetings.
‘Harassing people’
“He [Mr. Modi] does not answer people’s queries. They [the BJP] harass farmers, women, labourers and youth of the country and now they are harassing them in this election,” he added.
“The only thing they resort to is Hindu-Muslim [rhetoric] to continue their politics and divide people, but people this time have understood that this is not good for the country and they (the BJP) are doing all this only for votes,” Mr. Kharge said.
“Yesterday, in Maharashtra,
he [Mr. Modi] said Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar) and Uddhav Thackeray should come to us (the BJP) to full their needs. Can a Prime Minister say all this?” Mr. Kharge said.
“The BJP-led NDA government has waived debt worth 16 lakh crore rupees of rich people but not of poor people. Earlier, when the Manmohan Singh government was in power, it had waived ₹72,000 crore debt of farmers,” Mr. Kharge said.
“RSS people, who work only for rich people, are being trained these days and brought in to join in this government on key posts at the level of Joint Secretary. This government runs on a daily wage and contract basis. To stop them and to defeat them, we are working hard, and nowhere it appears that Modi and his party are going to win,” he said.
When asked if various cases lodged against members of the Opposition would be withdrawn if the Congress government came to power, Mr. Kharge said “We will work as per the law and Constitution.”
At the press interaction, Mr. Kharge was also asked who would be made Prime Minister if the Opposition alliance came to power. “Mahagathbandhan will choose the leader together,” he said.
On former Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda’s resignation, Mr. Kharge said: “We have accepted his resignation. That’s all.”