‘Remove Modi to save democracy’: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge targets PM at
‘Remove Modi to save democracy’: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge targets PM at INDIA bloc rally in Delhi
M.U.H
01/11/202612
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged that several BJP governments in the country, including the government at the Centre, were formed on a "stolen" mandate. He said removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power was essential to saving democracy.
Addressing the INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi over the “vote chori” allegations, Kharge also accused Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of shielding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, PTI reported.
"Modi and Shah have attempted to snatch the votes of Dalits, youth and women. Modi ji wants to take away their votes through his man, Gyanesh Kumar. We will keep fighting until he goes and ensure his exit," Kharge said.
Kharge targets Modi, Shah over CEC
Alleging that Modi and Shah were trying to protect Kumar, Kharge said that even "if the CEC hides underground, we will find him".
"Be it the Central government or governments in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, they are ‘chori’ governments (formed on a stolen mandate). We have to throw out these 'vote chor'," Kharge said.
"Modi jayega to hi loktantra bachega, Modi ko hatayenge tabhi loktantra ko bachayenge, Modi ko hatao loktantra ko bachao (Remove Modi to save democracy)," he said, PTI reported.
INDIA bloc leaders attend Ramlila Maidan rally
Senior leaders, including Congress president Kharge, former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others, attended the rally at Ramlila Maidan.
Earlier, INDIA bloc leaders travelled in an open vehicle from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan for the rally, as hundreds of supporters marched alongside.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin leads counter-march in Haryana, targets Congress over Delhi protest
Meanwhile, BJP president Nitin Nabin on Sunday criticised the Congress over the INDIA bloc’s rally in Delhi, alleging that the party was targeting constitutional institutions out of frustration over failing to secure the people’s mandate. He made the remarks while leading the BJP’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ padyatra in Rohtak, Haryana, organised as a counter to the Opposition’s campaign over alleged “vote chori”, PTI reported.
Nabin targets Congress over 1984 anti-Sikh riots
Addressing party workers during the march, Nabin said the Congress should have apologised for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots instead of staging a protest on the anniversary of the killings in Delhi.
“The Congress party should have sought atonement and offered an apology for the acts committed against the Sikh brethren, the massacres and the killings that took place on this very day in 1984. Instead, today, they have come out to stage a protest,” he said.
Referring to the remarks made by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi after the 1984 riots, Nabin questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the party’s response to the violence.
“When our Sikh brethren were being murdered and massacred, your father remarked that ‘when a big tree falls, the earth shakes’. You ought to have felt remorse for the lives of the many Sikhs that were lost; you should have apologised for that. Yet, you have chosen to stage a protest today,” he said.
BJP chief accuses Congress of disrespecting people's mandate
Nabin alleged that the Congress was blaming constitutional institutions because it had failed to secure a public mandate.
“In a democratic system, the public gives a mandate to run the government. Since you did not receive such a mandate, you are clearly feeling disappointed and frustrated and you are blaming the constitutional institutions for this,” he said.
The BJP chief said the padyatra was aimed at strengthening democracy and respecting the people’s mandate.
“Every step you have taken during this padyatra has been a step towards strengthening democracy and the democratic forces,” he told participants.
He also questioned the need for a campaign to save democracy when the BJP was in power at the Centre and in several states, saying NDA workers responded when the Opposition disrespected the public mandate.
Nabin challenges Congress over internal democracy
Nabin also challenged Congress leaders to end what he described as “rajtantra” (monarchy) within the party, alleging that it was centred around Rahul Gandhi, and establish internal democracy.
The BJP’s counter-march came as the INDIA bloc held its ‘Chalo Dilli’ protest at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital against alleged electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
BJP in-charge for Haryana Smriti Irani, Union Minister and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, Haryana BJP president Archana Gupta, senior party leaders O P Dhankar, Subhash Barala, Capt Abhimanyu and Mohan Lal Badoli, along with Haryana ministers Krishan Kumar Bedi and Arvind Sharma, participated in the march. Party workers and local residents also joined the rally.
