‘Poor will never get justice as long as Modi continues to be at the helm of power’

AICC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge addressing an election rally in Sedam town of Kalaburagi district on Monday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Accusing the Modi-led BJP Central government of being anti-poor and pro-capitalist, All India Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge has said that the poor and deprived sections of society will not get justice as long as the Modi-led BJP remains in power.

He was addressing an election campaign rally in Sedam town of Kalaburagi district in support of the party’s candidate in Kalaburagi Lok Sabha Constituency Radhakrishna Doddamani.

Mr. Kharge criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre for what he said meting out injustice for 10 years affecting the people, democracy and the Constitution.

Clarifying that the Congress poll manifesto comprises five proposals (Paanch Nyay) for the common masses, Nari Nyay (justice for women), Yuva Nyay (justice for youth), Kisan Nyay (justice for farmers), Hissedari Nyay (justice for participants) and Shramik Nyay (justice for workers), he said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deliberately misinterpreted the manifesto stating that the Congress wants to redistribute people’s wealth.

Mr. Kharge further criticised the Modi-led government’s performance on various fronts such as unemployment, farm issues and economic policies and what according to him is favoritism towards a handful of industrialists.

Accusing Mr. Modi of waiving loans of billionaire industrialists, Mr. Kharge said that the richest 22 Indian billionaires have more wealth than what 70 crore of the country’s population can together muster.

The Congress leader stressed that the coming Lok Sabha elections is crucial for democracy and invoked Ambedkar to say that the country needs to be run according to the Constitution. “This is also an election to save democracy and the Constitution,” the leader reiterated.

Mr. Kharge said that Mr. Modi went back on several promises he made to the people of the country in the last 10 years. Did Mr. Modi generate two crore jobs every year; did he bring blackmoney stashed abroad; did he double farm income? These are the heap of lies that Mr. Modi told the people, he is the “king of lairs”. Mr. Modi and lies go hand-in-hand, he said.

Mr. Kharge appealed to the people to vote for the hand symbol and give strength to the Congress.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, AICC general secretary and in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge were present.