Democracy will end in India if you bring back Modi-Shah govt.: Kharge

INDIA bloc will secure a ‘big majority’ in 102 seats that went to polls in rst phase, BJP’s only job is to ‘abuse’ Congress, Gandhi family, and ‘destroy’ the Constitution, says party chief at rally in Satna

f people bring back the “Modi and Shah” government to power, democracy will end in the nation, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna on Sunday.

“This is [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s government. This is Home Minister [Amit] Shah’s government. If you bring it back again, I swear democracy in this nation will end,” said Mr. Kharge, who was ˆlling in for party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was scheduled to address the rally in Satna but took ill. Later, Mr. Kharge said Mr. Gandhi was su¥ering from food poisoning.

“Shah has a big laundry, which has a big washing machine. I had heard earlier that a washing machine is used to wash clothes, but for the ˆrst time I’ve heard that in Shah’s laundry, it also cleans people. So far, 27

Ibig leaders have been cleaned in it,” he said.

The Congress chief also claimed that the INDIA bloc will secure a “big majority” in the 102 Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the ˆrst phase on April 19. He said the BJP’s only job was to “abuse” the Congress and the Gandhi family, and “destroy” the Constitution and democracy.

“Modiji says ‘even if Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar comes back, the Constitution will not change’. But I ask if this is true, then why do your MPs, MLAs, and [RSS chief Mohan] Bhagwat say that ‘give us two-thirds majority, we will change the Constitution?’” Mr. Kharge said. “[BJP MP] Anantkumar Hegde has said, ‘We need 400 seats so that we can change the Constitution’,” he added.

The Congress president also claimed that the nation’s assets like public sector undertakings, airports, and big industries are being sold to “two buyers”. “Who are these two buyers? Adani and Ambani. Who are the sellers? Modi and Shah,” he said.

Triangular contest

The party has ˆelded MLA Siddharth Kushwaha to take on BJP’s four-time MP Ganesh Singh from the Satna seat, which goes to polls in the second phase on April 26. Mr. Kushwaha had defeated Mr. Singh in the 2023 Assembly election from the Satna seat.

Narayan Tripathi, former MLA and prominent Brahmin leader from the Vindhya region, is in the fray with a BSP ticket, making it a triangular contest.

On the o ensive: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday.