NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, alleging that the saffron party won the Maharashtra assembly elections through “fraud”. He made a strong pitch for having elections on ballot paper while questioning the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Speaking at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session held on the banks of the Sabarmati river, Kharge accused the PM Modi-led government of systematically dismantling democratic institutions and “selling off” national assets to benefit a select few crony capitalists.
‘EVMs put opposition at disadvantage’
“The whole world is moving from EVMs to ballot paper but we are using EVMs. This is all fraud. They ask us to prove it. You have devised such techniques that benefit the ruling party and put the opposition at a disadvantage,” Kharge said.
Pointing to the Maharashtra assembly polls, Kharge said, “What happened in Maharashtra. We raised the issue everywhere, Rahul Gandhi raised the issue strongly. What kind of voter list they made…Maharashtra election was a fraud. The same thing happened in Haryana,” the Congress president said.
He further pointed out that the BJP won 90 per cent of the seats, highlight that this had never happened before.
“There has never been a fraud like the one that happened in Maharashtra polls, which was aimed at destroying democracy,” he charged.
“We will find out about it. The thief always gets caught. Our lawyers and leaders are working for it. We are trying that,” Kharge added.
‘Constitution under attack’
The Congress president also accused the ruling dispensation of consistently attacking constitutional values over the last 11 years.
“Constitutional institutions and principles are being attacked and we have to fight to protect them,” Kharge said.
“Democracy is being finished slowly, slowly, slowly,” he said, while alleging that key institutions and parliamentary procedures are being undermined.
Kharge cited recent parliamentary sessions where he claimed the government stifled the opposition’s voice. “The speaker took the leader of oposition’s name but did not let him speak. This is shameful in a democracy. If you do not allow LoP to speak how will you let people to raise their voice,” he said.
He criticised the government for pushing communal debates late into the night, including a 4 am discussion on the Manipur crisis, and suggested it was a tactic to evade public scrutiny.
Kharge on US tariffs
The Congress president said, “America imposed a 26 per cent tariff against us but they did not allow any discussion on it in the Parliament. We raised this issue the same afternoon but they did not accept it. A monopoly is being established in the country’s economy.”
‘PM Modi selling off the country’
Sharpening his attack, Kharge accused the PM Modi’s government of handing over public resources to a few industrialists, dismantling SC/ST/OBC reservations through rapid privatisation, and pushing the country toward economic inequality.
“If this continues, the Modi government and Modi will sell off the whole country and go,” Kharge alleged.
He also hit out at the BJP-RSS for stirring communal sentiments by raising 500-year-old issues and accused Prime Minister Modi of “starting the fire” while RSS members “add fuel to it.”
“We’re fighting second battle of Independence; difference is earlier foreigners were benefitting from communalisation, poverty, inequality, now country’s own government is benefitting,” he charged.
Kharge criticises BJP over caste census, price hikes
Reiterating the Congress’ demand for a nationwide caste census, Kharge accused PM Modi of using his OBC identity for electoral advantage without delivering tangible benefits to the community.
He also lashed out at the government over price hikes in fuel and LPG, calling them burdensome for ordinary citizens.
