We have to decide whether we want democracy or dictatorship: Kharge

NEW DELHI: Likening the BJP and RSS with "poison," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday attacked the BJP-led government, saying this is the time to decide whether we want "democracy or dictatorship." Addressing the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan, the Congress President asserted that the BJP and RSS are like poison.

"You have to decide if you want democracy or dictatorship... Those who support dictatorship need to be kicked out of the country. The BJP and RSS are like poison. You will die even if you taste poison," Kharge said. He further said that we are all united to save the country, democracy and the Constitution.

"We need to unite and only then will we be able to fight the BJP. We won't succeed if we keep attacking and fighting each other," he added. Kharge also accused the PM Modi of misusing institutions to threaten opposition parties and its leaders, and toppling their governments to form BJP governments.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren attacked the PM Modi government and said that it did not like the upliftment of the backward classes and communities that Hemant Soren did in Jharkhand. "The reason why Hemant Soren has been arrested, there is no mention of that land anywhere in any books. BJP did not like the upliftment of the backwards classes and communities that Hemant Soren did in Jharkhand. This is the fight our ancestors also fought in Jharkhand. We are one. We will not let the ideology of BJP thrive in Jharkhand as well as the country," Soren said.

Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said that the BJP government can arrest Arvind Kejriwal, but not his "ideology." "You can arrest Arvind Kejriwal, but how will you arrest his ideology. In which jail will you send the lakhs of Kejriwals that are born in India. Arvind Kejriwal is not a person, Arvind Kejriwal is the name of an ideology... Today, the INDIA Alliance is together. But they don't want us to be together," Punjab CM said.

INDIA alliance leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, J-K NC leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and other leaders at the INDIA bloc rally in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi.

Opposition leaders came together in a show of strength at the capital's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. He is in custody till April 1.