Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and other leaders during a ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ event in Mumbai on August 20, 2024 to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) launched a trenchant attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government stating that the current dispensation is a ‘minority’ government that heavily relies on the support of allies, particularly Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).
He described the BJP as ‘poisonous,’ urging people to avoid it.
“The Modi-led dispensation is a minority government; it can’t function without JD(U), TDP support. They’re the two legs of this government,” he said, speaking at a ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ event in Mumbai to mark the 80th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and officially kicking off campaign for the coming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The event saw the presence of its key allies from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP).
The 82-year-old leader said that if the MVA was voted back to power, Maharashtra would be governed by its people, not by Prime Minister Modi from Delhi. He said the battle to protect the Constitution was ongoing and urged voters to strengthen the Opposition by supporting it in State elections.
The Congress chief said the Opposition INDIA alliance dealt a significant blow to the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections, limiting its seat count to 240 — far short of the 272 needed for a majority and a sharp decline from the 303 seats it won in 2019. “INDIA alliance gave a befitting reply to BJP, brought down its Lok Sabha seat tally to 240. BJP is like ‘poison’, no need to taste it,” he said.
‘Without arrogance’
Mr. Kharge highlighted the difference between the Congress era under Rajiv Gandhi and the current BJP rule. “Rajiv Gandhi led the Congress to victory in 415 seats without arrogance. However, Mr. Modi, after setting a target of crossing 400 seats, was dealt a blow by Maharashtra voters. You stopped Modi from becoming a dictator. In the Assembly elections, it is your responsibility to bring us back to power in the State,” he stated. He accused the BJP of dismantling opposition-led governments in various States and undermining democracy by encouraging defections.
Mr. Kharge pointed out that without a strong presence of MLAs in State Assemblies, the Opposition would struggle to elect MPs to the Rajya Sabha. He said there was a need for Opposition strength in both Houses of Parliament. “Today the government cancelled the vacancy of lateral entry, this is your victory,” he said.
Mr. Pawar echoed the Congress president’s sentiments, praising the Nehru-Gandhi family’s indelible contributions to the nation. He stressed that no one could erase the Nehru-Gandhi family’s legacy from Indian history. Mr. Pawar also criticised the current regime for harbouring animosity towards the family, which, he claimed, was unwarranted given their sacrifices for the country.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also joined the chorus of criticism against the BJP. Mr. Thackeray said that during the Congress rule, despite being in the Opposition the Shiv Sena was never targeted by agencies like the ED or CBI, unlike today. “Shiv Sena and Congress were bitter opponents but they never acted vindictively towards each other,” he said.
Mr. Thackeray, who joined hands with the Congress in 2019 after parting ways with the BJP, took part in a Congress event for the first time. Taking a swipe at Mr. Modi’s regime at the Centre, he said, that Rajiv Gandhi, as Prime Minister, never shied away from facing challenges while the present government was not concerned even when violence flared up in Manipur and Kashmir. “Rajiv Gandhi is a dignified leader who decentralised power and introduced Panchayati Raj despite his massive electoral mandate,” he said.
He criticised Mr. Modi, questioning, “You speak of One Nation – One Election; does Maharashtra not belong to your nation?” The BJP accused him of abandoning Hindutva for the sake of aligning with the Congress, but the saffron party did not mind joining hands with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and Mr. Naidu (who have different ideologies), Mr. Thackeray said. “The BJP does not represent Hindutva, and I refuse to accept their version of it,” he added.
