China encroached on our land but PM Modi is silent: Congress chief Kharge

Shimla: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that China has encroached on India's land and is constructing houses and roads but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent.Where is the 56-inch chest, Kharge asked, taking a dig at the prime minister in his address at a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Rohru.

The Congress chief said his party is fighting to save the people of the country and the Constitution. If the Constitution is not saved, democracy and the rights granted under it would be snatched, he said.

"The Modi government supports the rich, while the Congress is with the poor. India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru built infrastructure which helped the poor," he said.

Modi's government has "sold public assets created by the Congress to Adani-Ambani" and he is now asking the Congress to give an account of 55 years (of rule), Kharge said. "We will give account of every penny but Modi should first give account of his tenure."

"We fought against Pakistan and got independence for Bangladesh. China encroached on our land and is constructing houses and roads and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent. Where is the 56-inch chest?"

Accusing the BJP of attempting to topple the democratically elected Congress government in Himachal Pradesh using money power, he also cited the examples of Maharashtra, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Goa.

Kharge alleged the BJP misused federal probe agencies to intimidate and put pressure on opposition leaders. Citing the example of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, the Congress chief claimed that he was threatened by the BJP which asked him not to join the INDIA bloc and later jailed him when he refused.

Claiming that PM Modi's desperation was becoming evident in his speeches, the Congress president said, "He talks about Hindu-Muslim and caste divide. The BJP does not want social harmony and is dividing the people."

"Modi is abusing the Congress as he is afraid of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and is taking their names more than he takes the name of God," Kharge said.

He also hit out at the Centre for allegedly not providing aid to the Himachal Pradesh government in the aftermath of the natural calamity during the monsoon last year.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had sought Rs 10,000 crore aid from the Centre after the floods but got only stones, Kharge claimed.

At the rally in the apple belt in Shimla district to garner support for Congress candidate from Shimla (SC) parliamentary constituency Vinod Sultanpuri, the party president said PM Modi had promised to ensure remunerative returns to apple growers but he reduced import duty and harmed the interests of growers.

"Modi tells lies. He says something and does the opposite," Kharge alleged.

He asked people whether they got Rs 15 lakh which PM Modi had promised to give by getting black money parked in Swiss banks back to India, whether 20 crore jobs were given and whether the income of farmers doubled.

Talking about the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, Kharge said that besides the 25 guarantees, minimum wages, Rs 1 lakh for women, caste census and social justice are focus areas of the party.

The Congress has implemented its promises in Karnataka and Telangana and would do the same in Himachal Pradesh, Kharge said, adding that women would get Rs 1,500 per month after the elections are over.

Taking a dig at PM Modi, the Congress chief said the cost of the bullet train has increased from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore and it has not been constructed yet.

Kharge said that immediately after coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls, his party would fill 30 lakh vacancies in government departments, a Rs 5,000-crore fund would be created under Yuva Roshani for start-ups, a policy would be framed to check paper leaks, loans of farmers would be waived and farmer-friendly import-export policy would be brought.

He also promised GST-free farming, providing compensation to farmers and ensuring crop insurance in 30 days.

Later addressing a press conference in Shimla, Kharge exuded confidence that the Congress and its INDIA bloc partners would form government from June 4. People are against the BJP due to rising unemployment and inflation, Agniveer, miserable condition of farmers and misuse of constitutional institutions by the BJP, he claimed.

The BJP is like laundry where the tainted people get cleaned, he claimed and added that tainted leaders who joined the BJP are now clean and have got plump postings.