Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday opposed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that the Congress intends to reimpose Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He said this controversial provision has been repealed by Parliament. Kharge accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of keeping the Article 370 issue alive to create division in the society. In Pune, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abusing the Congress and its top leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
He said Amit Shah is accusing Congress of spreading lies in its election rallies. (But) he (himself) is saying that the Congress wants to bring back Article 370 (in Jammu and Kashmir). Tell me, who said this and when? You are raising a problem. If it (the proposal to repeal Article 370) has already been passed in Parliament, why are you raising the issue again?
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed resolution
He said that it means that they want to keep this issue alive so that people are divided. If you want to say this, go to Kashmir and say it. Elections are over in Kashmir. Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was repealed by the BJP-led central government in August 2019. The Congress has an alliance with the National Conference. The National Conference leads the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution asking the Center to hold talks with elected representatives to restore the special status of the erstwhile state.
Congress worked to keep the country united
Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Congress President said that a BJP leader is saying that if we are divided, we will be divided and questioned the logic behind coining such a slogan. The leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha asked why such a slogan had been given. The country is one. Congress worked to keep the country united. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. The Congress did this (sacrifice), but you did not fight for the unity of the country, nor for independence, nor for the poor.
Congress established reservations in the Constitution
He said it was the Congress that made the reservation provision in the Constitution and the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had worked to pass reservation for scheduled castes/scheduled tribes in jobs and education. Kharge said that, but they (BJP) are still raising the issue of reservations. He claimed that the BJP is pitting big political personalities of the country like Nehru, Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Patel and Subhash Chandra Bose against each other.
Congress is ready to sacrifice for the country.
The Congress chief said that they (BJP) now say that Baba Saheb wanted to do this, but Jawaharlal Nehru did it. Vallabhbhai Patel said this and Bose said this. When he was alive, you were against the Constitution. You didn’t even keep the Indian flag in your office. He highlighted that you were not ready to accept the Ashoka Chakra (in the middle of the tricolor) and wanted a Constitution based on Manu (Manusmriti, an ancient religious text) and now you are missing the Constitution. The Congress president said that the Congress wants to keep the country united and is ready to make any sacrifice to achieve it.
PM Modi works for his friends
He said that only five percent of the people in the country have 62 percent wealth and 50 percent of the people have only three percent wealth. Kharge alleged that instead of reducing this inequality, Prime Minister Modi is encouraging his friends by selling private sector units. Most of the medicines are supplied to the port assigned to Adani. In October, 400 kg of cocaine were seized. In February, 4,000 kg of hashish were seized. Illegal things are being brought in which are ruining the youth of Pune, Bengaluru and Punjab.
Give us power, we give you budget
Asked how the Congress and the opposition MVA would raise money for the populist plans promised in their manifestos if they come to power in Maharashtra, he said, “give us the power, we will give you the budget.” We work according to the budget. The Congress leader remarked, we do not believe in Khoke (money box) but Doke (mind). We have brains and they have kiosks.
