Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in his Independence Day speech.
Addressing the members and workers at Congress headquarters in the national Capital, Kharge alleged that the opposition’s voice is being muzzled and Parliament members are being suspended.
“I am in pain while saying this that today democracy, the Constitution and traditions are all being threatened. In Parliament, by suspending opposition MPs, the opposition’s voice is being suppressed… My mic was switched off”, Kharge said referring to an incident in the recently concluded Monsoon session.
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“On one side, we boast of democracy and on the other, our mouths are sealed shut,” he added.
Responding to PM Modi’s claim of hoisting the flag in 2024, the Congress president said, “Every person says that they come back again and again after winning. But making you win or lose is in the hands of people, in the hands of voters. To say in 2023, ‘I will hoist the flag once again in 2024’ is arrogance. If he keeps making comments on Opposition even on Independence Day, how will he build the nation?”
{{/usCountry}}Responding to PM Modi’s claim of hoisting the flag in 2024, the Congress president said, “Every person says that they come back again and again after winning. But making you win or lose is in the hands of people, in the hands of voters. To say in 2023, ‘I will hoist the flag once again in 2024’ is arrogance. If he keeps making comments on Opposition even on Independence Day, how will he build the nation?”
{{/usCountry}}“First, they talked about ‘achche din’, then, they talked about New India’, And now they talk about ‘Amrit Kaal’. Isn’t this a name change to hide his failures?” asked Kharge.
Listing out the contributions of former prime ministers, Kharge said, “When the British left India to say that not even a needle was manufactured here then. At that time, Pandit Nehru set up big industries, steel plants, public sector (institutions), and created jobs for the youth.”
“Nation building is a continuous process. Great leaders of our Independence, former prime ministers and the people of India have achieved this with their contributions. These days, some people show that India has not progressed in the last many years. That is wrong,” the Congress President said, taking a dig at PM Modi’s comments during his Independence Day speech.
“PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh, together, by leading economic liberalisation in 1991, joined the country with the world and strengthened the economy,” Kharge said.
The Congress president did not attend PM Modi’s speech at Red Fort on Tuesday.
The party spokesperson told HT that it was due to logistical reasons as the party president had to be present at the party’s headquarters for hoisting the national flag.