Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday called the BJP leaders as the “dwellers of hell” who did nothing for the independence or to uplift the economy and the society. In a scathing attack on the Centre, especially Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged insulting remarks on the architect of Indian constitution B R Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha recently, Kharge said the BJP government was dumping all the constitutional values. Addressing Congress workers after unfurling the Indian tricolour at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office, Kharge said Congress made India as an independent country and is striving for its unity. “But the painful matter is that recently our important leaders, especially the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, insulted the Constitution. Amit Shah passed nasty comments on the architect of the Indian constitution,” the Octogenarian leader said. Recalling Shah’s statement, Kharge said, “I was in the parliament. In the Rajya Sabha he (Shah) said, ‘You keep on chanting the name of Ambedkar. Had you chanted the name of God, you would have secured a place in heaven’.”
“These dwellers of hell were unable to get us independence and did not do any good work for the country, from the economic and social point of view,” the Congress President said.
Underlining the significance of the 75th Republic Day, he said it was important for the Indians to function in accordance with the constitution but due to certain reasons, the BJP led Central government is dumping all the constitutional values. “Rights of the citizens, especially the independence given to women, are being undermined,” the Opposition leader said. He also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement of making India the third major economy in the world.
“I was listening to Modi’s speech, in which he said he was striving to make India the third major economy in the world, but it did not move beyond the fifth position,” he said.
According to Kharge, Congress led UPA had made the country fourth major economy while the BJP brought it down to the fifth position.
Th BJP government could not retain the position secured by the UPA but yet it kept boasting. People will realise the truth when they see facts and figures, he said.
Kharge alleged that the Centre is looking down upon the citizens with disdain.
“While the government is giving maximum benefits and facilities to the rich and powerful people, it is ignoring the poor people,” he charged.
The Congress president said he was going to Indore on Monday where the party has organised ‘Gandhi Bharat’ programme.
He said a large number of people would gather at the event to be held in Indore cantonment where B R Ambedkar was born.
“We will explain to people the problems created by Modi and Shah by damaging the independence of the country and insulting our great leaders.
You need to carry forward the slogan of ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’,” Kharge said.
In a statement issued by his office, Kharge said as the country celebrates the Republic Day, it was also a time to reflect upon how the country is witnessing constant attacks on the Constitution.
“The ruling party has unleashed a continuous degradation of our institutions, built carefully over decades. Political interference in autonomous institutions has become a norm. Exercising control over their independence is being seen as a virtue of power,” Kharge charged.
He alleged that federalism is being trampled on a daily basis and the rights of Opposition governed states are being curtailed.
“The functioning of Parliament has seen tremendous backsliding due to the tyrannical tendency of the ruling government,” the Congress chief said.
“Universities and self-governing institutions are witnessing constant intrusion. A large part of the media has been converted as a propaganda tool for the ruling party. Strangulating dissent by witch-hunting Opposition leaders has become the only policy of those in power,” he charged.
Kharge said in the past decade, a vicious, hateful agenda immersed in religious fundamentalism has sought to divide the Indian society.
“Minorities are being targeted, and those who are secular are being tarnished by the paint of Goebbelsian propaganda. The weaker sections — SCs, STs, OBCs, poor and minorities are being treated as second class citizens,” the Congress leader said.
Manipur has been burning for 21 months, but there is no accountability at the topmost echelons of power, he alleged.