Channaptana (Karnataka): Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “400 paar” during the election campaign is aimed at getting NDA two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha that is required to change the Constitution.
Kharge also said that he was ready for an open debate to discuss Congress’ manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, as he hit out at Modi for his statement that it completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League.
“This election is important for saving democracy and the Constitution. If you vote on these issues, the vote will go to Congress. If you don’t vote for Congress there will be no Constitution or democracy in the country,” Kharge said.
Addressing a public meeting here, he said, “Modi is seeking two-thirds majority. He is saying ‘400 paar’, because to change the Constitution, two thirds majority is required. To get that two-thirds majority Modi is saying ‘400 paar’.”
Questioning as to why Modi is allegedly not stopping RSS and BJP leaders from speaking on changing the Constitution and not taking action against them, Kharge said, “it is because he too wants it to happen, Modi too wants it.”
Hitting out at Modi for equating the Congress’ manifesto with the Muslim League’s, the AICC chief said: “If we say we will give employment to youth, is it the Muslim League? Is Nari Nyay… legalising MSP for farmers — is it the Muslim League? He utters whatever comes to his mouth.”
The prime minister on Sunday said in Rajasthan that Congress, by doing census, will gather assets that people have and will give the same to Muslims. “Being a PM, he should speak with sense, instead of speaking without sense,” Kharge said.
“I’m ready for an open debate with him (Modi) wherever he says, to discuss our manifesto. I list out things in our manifesto and question him for calling it Muslim League and an anti-national manifesto,” he said, as he highlighted guarantees promised in the manifesto.
Accusing Modi of unnecessarily targeting the Gandhi family, Kharge said, since 1989 till now, no member of the Gandhi family has been prime minister, minister or chief minister. “But, he (Modi) still won’t stop attacking the Gandhi family.”
If anyone is trying to divide this country it is Modi, Kharge alleged, as he accused the prime minister of spreading hate among Hindus and Muslims, and among Dalits and other castes.
Congress’ symbol — ‘the hand’ — is always with you, but Modi says that the hand is bad and not to vote for it, “will you cut your hand?” he remarked.
Modi is known for “hit and run”, Kharge said, as he urged the prime minister “to stand his ground and discuss issues.”
“We are not against Modi, but against his ideology, RSS ideology. Why target Modi, an individual?”
However, the difficulty is BJP and Modi himself say — Modi’s guarantee, Modi’s promise, Modi did it. For everything if you say Modi, who should we criticise? They don’t take the BJP’s name, everything is Modi. So we too take Modi’s name to target,” Kharge said.
