BJP fooled people in name of religion, caste: Mallikarjun Kharge attacks BJP

SUKMA: Unleashing a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday claimed that the latter has "fooled" people in the name of religion and caste.

"The BJP does nothing but keep taunting the Congress party. We made sacrifices for the country. Indira Gandhiji (Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi), Rajiv Gandhiji (Former PM Rajiv Gandhi) and Mahatma Gandhiji, sacrificed their lives for the country. Does the BJP have such people? They (BJP) do the 'vote-bank politics'", Kharge said while addressing a public gathering in Chhattisgarh's Sukma.

"They fooled people in the name of religion and caste. They trick people by saying that they made a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) President. They should know that the Congress party gave the first woman Prime Minister to the country. The Congress empowered the backward classes", he added.

The Congress President said, "We have to win the elections. But, more than that, we have to save the country, save democracy and save society. The BJP keeps asking what Congress has done for the country. There were no schools, no banks and no jobs. It all was done by the Congress. Modi Sahab (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) asks what we have done in the past 70 years. We have built the country. We constructed schools, public sectors, banks, industries, etc. Did Modiji construct schools in Chhattisgarh?"

"They say as if the country got independent in 2014", Kharge stated. Mallikarjun Karge further said, "We did something for the country. This is why we have the right to seek votes. It was the Congress which gave rights to the poor. It was us who brought equality in the country". "Modiji came to power promising that he would bring out black money from abroad and distribute it among the countrymen. Did he do it? He said that he would provide two lakh jobs annually. Did he do it? Now what is wrong if I call him a liar. PM Modi does not want the poor to get any power. He keeps saying that he is a poor man and people cannot bear that he is a prime minister. He keeps making such statements. Did Bhupesh Baghel ever say that he is from the backward class? Did he say that the BJP is not bearing with him? Bhupesh Baghel never made any such statements", Kharge stated.

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to hold polls in two phases on November 7 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all five poll-bound states. Earlier in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress came to power with a landslide victory, winning 68 seats out of 90.