Mumbai: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inciting people and dividing the society through his election speeches. Kharge made this allegation on Modi while addressing a press conference of ‘India’ (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) alliance. Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders were also present in this conference. The opposition alliance had held an election rally in the city on Friday.
Kharge said, “Before Modi, no Prime Minister had worked to instigate people the way he is doing. He repeatedly talks about democracy but does not follow the principles of democracy. Modi had said that if Congress comes to power, it will bulldoze the Ram temple in Ayodhya and will also restore Article 370. When questioned in this regard, Kharge said, “We never used bulldozers on anyone.”
Modi has a habit of lying and provoking people on things which Congress will never do or things which are impossible to implement.” Kharge said when asked about his party’s stand on Article 370. I am not answerable to Modi.
We will fulfill the promise we have made in our manifesto. Taking aim at the Prime Minister, he said, “Wherever he goes, he tries to create division, talks about dividing the society.” Said that Prime Minister Modi had described the Congress manifesto as the manifesto of the Muslim League but now he says that it is a Maoist manifesto.
The Congress chief assured that the reservation given in the Constitution will continue and no one can touch it.
Thackeray said on the occasion, “‘Acche din’ will come after June 4 (when the Lok Sabha election results will be declared) when the ‘India’ coalition-led government will take power.”
“Prime Minister Modi calls us ‘fake’ Shiv Sena, tomorrow he can call RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) ‘fake Sangh’,” the former chief minister said. He alleged that the BJP was trying to divert people’s attention from issues like jobs. It is trying to present the narrative of “Pakistan flag in our rally”.
Pawar said that after coming to power, it will be the duty of the ‘India’ coalition government to protect all the religious places in the country. Kharge said that if the ‘India’ coalition government is elected, it will implement a simple and single rate GST in place of the current GST (Goods and Services Tax). He said, “We introduced the Food Security Act, but Prime Minister Modi is taking credit for the supply of free ration.”