BJP seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul over Cong chief's ‘confession’ on poll guarantees

“Kharge has realised such reckless announcements should not be made," BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The BJP on Friday sought ‘apology’ from the Congress leadership after Mallikarjun Kharge, the grand old party's national president, ‘acknowledged’ that the Congress' poll guarantees were causing financial constraints in states where it is in power.

File Photo: LoP in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with party President Mallikarjun Kharge during Congress central election committee meeting for the Haryana assembly polls on September 3.

On Thursday, the Congress chief had said the state units of the party should promise only those guarantees that are 'fiscally possible.'

This is an ‘admission’ from the senior politician that such ‘reckless announcements' should not be made, according to the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad.

“Did he give this ‘gyan’ (advice) to Rahul Gandhi, as the ex-Congress president often boasts of ‘khata khat’ (immediate) transfer of money to people?” Prasad asked at a press conference.

“They should apologise to the country. While I commend Kharge 'sahab' for this realisation at his age, this should have dawned on him earlier. Let Rahul Gandhi be the first recipient of your confession,” the former Union minister added.

Further, Prasad accused the principal opposition party of making 'false promises’ repeatedly, and recalled the ‘garibi hatao’ (remove poverty) slogan given by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Rahul's grandmother, for the Lok Sabha polls in 1971; she led the Congress to a landslide win.

Prasad also highlighted the contrasting approaches of the BJP and Congress on guarantees.

“The BJP makes only those promises that are guided by fiscal prudence. Whether it is giving free grains to 80 crore people or welfare measures for women in different states, the BJP has been fulfilling them (guarantees),” Prasad stated.

On Wednesday, Karnataka deputy chief minister suggested the state's Congress government could ‘revisit’ the Shakti scheme for free bus travel for women, as some women wanted to pay for ticket. Kharge made the ‘guarantees’ remark while 'pulling up' Shivakumar for his statement.

(With PTI inputs)