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Tag: Mallikarjun Kharge

  • Modi ki Chinese guarantee”: Congress Chief Kharge alleges Centre of putting country’s territorial integrity “at risk

    Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the country’s territorial integrity and national security “at risk” in dealing with its neighbouring country, China.

    Kharge, in a post on X, also accused the Modi government of “attacking the constitutional rights of our own citizens of Ladakh”.

    “Modi Ki Chinese Guarantee! In Ladakh, there is a strong wave of public support, with unified calls for protection for tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” he said, adding that the Congress remains committed to protecting Ladakh and securing national interests at the borders.Kharge comments come as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike in support of statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for the Union Territory of Ladakh continues.

    “But like all other guarantees – ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ to assure constitutional rights to the people of Ladakh remains a colossal betrayal. It is nothing but fake and Chinese in nature,” the Congress chief said.

    Kharge also alleged that the Modi government wants to exploit the eco-sensitive Himalayan glaciers of Ladakh and benefit its “crony friends”.”PM Modi’s CLEAN CHIT to China after Galwan Valley, post the sacrifice of our 20 bravehearts, has emboldened the expansionist nature of China at our strategic borders (sic),” he added.”On one hand, Modi government has put our territorial integrity and national security at risk, and on the other hand, it is attacking the Constitutional Rights of our own citizens of Ladakh,” the Congress chief added.

    He also claimed that China continues to occupy Indian territory at Depsang Plains, Hot Springs and Gogra regions.

    He also said that the Modi government failed to ensure status quo ante before 2020 despite at least 19 rounds of one-on-one talks between PM Modi and his Chinese counterpart since 2014.

  • ‘This Time They Will Be Wiped Out Of Parliament’: Mallikarjun Kharge On BJP’s ‘400 Seats’ Claim |

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed that the Narendra Modi-powered BJP won’t be able to cross 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and it will be wiped out of Parliament. Speaking to reporters in Amethi, Kharge said, “I said – they (BJP) keep saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” The Congress president hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his guarantee is not for the farmers, labourers, Dalits, tribal and backward people of the country.

    Denying any rift with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, Kharge said, ‘”Everything will be alright. He has agreed and our people have agreed too. There is no problem.”  Kharge on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and described it as a ‘curse’ for the country’s farmers. 

     

    #WATCH | In UP’s Amethi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “I said – they (BJP) are saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” https://t.co/mr3cU5wfmC
    — ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024

     

    Interestingly, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today made his participation in the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra conditional to a decision on seat sharing, saying that he will be joining it the moment the seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are distributed between the two parties. “Right now talks are going on, lists have come from their side and from ours as well, the moment the seats are distributed and decided, the Samajwadi Party will join Congress’s Nyaya Yatra,” Yadav said speaking to reporters on Monday.

    The Congress president accused the Modi government of treating farmers like enemies. Kharge asserted that only the Congress party can provide farmers with the legal right to a Minimum Support Price (MSP).

    “The Modi government is a curse for the country’s food-providing farmers. Due to the continuous false ‘Modi’s Guarantee’, first 750 farmers lost their lives, and now, yesterday, one farmer lost his life and 3 have lost their eyesight due to rubber bullets. The Modi government has treated farmers like enemies, Only Congress will give them the legal right of MSP!” he said in a post on ‘X’.

    Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his poll promises, Kharge said the former is the chief of all liars as he failed to even fulfil what he had promised during his 2014 poll campaign.

    “I want to ask him what happened to the promises he made during 2014–he never fulfilled those. Modiji jhuton ka sardar hai (PM Modi is the chief of liars),” Kharge said addressing party workers at an event hosted by Maharashtra Congress in Pune.

    The Congress national president said people keep praising PM Modi despite the latter not doing much work in the last 10 years.
    Kharge cautioned that if such a scenario continues, the Constitution will “vanish”.

    “PM Modi keeps lying…you all know what he did in the last ten years. Still, people praise him…if this continues, then there will soon come a day when the Constitution will vanish. We are waging a fight to protect the Constitution and have to keep fighting,” he said.

    Describing Prime Minister Modi as “individualistic,” Kharge alleged that the former does not even take his party’s name while announcing his “guarantees.” “PM Modi keeps on saying that this is Modi ki Guarantee…he never uses his party name. He is very individualistic and full of himself,” the Congress president said.

    Claiming further that the BJP had no role in the country’s freedom struggle, Kharge added, “We are fighting for the country and its founding ideals all over again. The BJP had no role or contribution to our freedom struggle. We fought for the country.”

    Taking a dig at the Congress, PM Modi earlier this month said that even Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge has predicted the return of the NDA government with over 400 seats. 

    PM Modi made this remark during his response to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.

    During a session in the Rajya Sabha on February 2, Kharge inadvertently coined what would become a rallying cry for the BJP, stating “Abki Baar, 400 Paar,” which translates to “This time, over 400 seats.”

    “Our third tenure is not far away, a maximum of 100-125 days are left. The entire nation is saying ‘abki baar, 400 paar’. Even Kharge ji said that,” PM Modi said while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.

    He expressed confidence that the BJP would not only secure a third term but also achieve an impressive victory by winning over 370 seats individually and crossing the 400 mark with the support of the NDA bloc. Modi’s remarks were met with laughter, including his own, as he acknowledged Kharge’s statement, suggesting that even the opposition leader seemed to predict the ruling party’s electoral success.

    Modi further criticised the Congress party, implying that they had become comfortable in their role as the opposition and were preparing to occupy the spectators’ gallery in Parliament. He also took a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s alleged nepotism, criticizing the repeated promotion of the same leadership without success.

    PM Modi indirectly referenced Rahul Gandhi by stating that the Congress is on the brink of shutting down its shop, emphasizing that they keep trying to relaunch the same product repeatedly.

  • On BJP’s White Paper, Congress Mulling ‘Black Paper’ Move Against Modi Government |

    The Congress party is planning to bring a ‘Black Paper’ against the BJP government after the ruling party said it will present a ‘White Paper’ on earlier UPA government’s economic mismanagement. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to present the report. As the government plans to present the white paper, the ongoing budget session of the Lok Sabha has been extended until Saturday, February 10. There will be no Question Hour session on the extended date. As per a Lok Sabha Secretariat notification issued on Wednesday, extension of the current session of Lok Sabha, as announced by the Chair today (7.2.2024) and agreed to by the House, the current session of Lok Sabha has been extended up to Saturday, February 10, 2024, in order to provide sufficient time for completion of essential items of Government Business.

    The BJP has planned to present the White Paper which will show the mismanagement of the economy by the earlier UPA government and the steps taken by the Modi government to improve the situation. It may be notable that under PM Narendra Modi, the Indian economy has become the fifth largest in the world from 11th in 2014.

    The last session before Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year was started with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of two Houses on January 31. It was earlier to be concluded on February 9.

    Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, stated that his party is prepared to address any papers the government brings to the House. “Narendra Modi has Congressphobia. We are ready to fight. The government can bring a ‘White Paper’, Red paper, black paper, we have no problem. However, Mehul Choksi’s papers should also be presented to the House,” Chowdhury told ANI.

    Welcoming the idea of bringing a ‘White Paper’ to the House, BJP Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the document is a much-awaited call and should be brought so that the public becomes aware of the corruption that occurred during the UPA tenure before 2014. “The government has passed the finance bill and the interim budget. If I recall correctly, the PM mentioned in his speech that they would present a White Paper on the mess that prevailed prior to 2014. I think it is likely to be listed tomorrow. It is a much-awaited call,” said Rudy.

  • Congress likely to bring ‘Black Paper’ in response to Modi govt’s ‘White Paper’ on economic mismanagement

    In response to the Central government’s plan to release a ‘White Paper’ criticising the Congress led UPA government’s tenure, the grand old party is preparing to counter with its own ‘Black Paper’, highlighting the shortcomings of the Modi government’s 10-year rule.

    ANI sources said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to spearhead the presentation of this ‘Black Paper’, aiming to provide a contrasting narrative to the government’s assessment and offer their perspective on the past decade of governance.

    Earlier, during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the interim Budget, Jayant Sinha, chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance, talked about the significance of the government’s forthcoming ‘white paper.’ According to Sinha, this document will shed light on India’s economic struggles when the Congress-led UPA government relinquished power and the subsequent efforts made by the current administration to reverse the situation.

    He emphasised that India was categorized among the ‘fragile five’ economies globally during the UPA regime in 2013, indicating the severity of the economic challenges at that time.

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  • Mallikarjun Kharge asks Rajya Sabha chair to restore expunged parts of his speech

    Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, on Wednesday urged Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to restore the expunged parts of his speech on the Motion of Thanks on the president’s address. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Kharge said two pages from his February 2 speech were removed, leading to distortion of intent.

    “I had raised certain points…they have been removed from the record,” he said, and emphasised that he had not taken anybody’s name nor violated any rules.

    He cited several rules to support his argument against the removal of parts of his speech. The Congress leader added that he also did not made any remarks on “persons in high authority” which required to be expunged.

    “I register my strong objection…I would like to request you to restore the expunged part in the House proceedings,” Kharge, who has also give a written note to the chairman on the matter, said.

    Dhankhar said he would look into it and give his ruling. He also there is a book on ‘unparliamentary words’. On a suggestion from a Rajya Sabha member, the chairman also said he would be happy to constitute a committee to revisit the list of ‘unparliamentary expressions’. “I have received a written communication from the Leader of the Opposition. I have gone through it. I will give my ruling on it,” he said.

    Dhankhar said Kharge had raised four points in his written communication. The first point relates to a word which is “unparliamentary” and was hence expunged. Points number two, three and four relate certain portion of Kharge’s remarks which were made after the Chair had announced “that nothing will go on record”.

    Earlier in the day, Dhankhar said the House would meet on Saturday (February 10) in order to complete essential government business. There will be no Zero Hour and Question Hour on Saturday.

    According to the original schedule, Friday would have been the last day of the ongoing Budget session.

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  • 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: Mamata Banerjee’s Googly, Mallikarjun Kharge’s Modi Remark Show Congress Party’s Acceptance Of Defeat |

    Seven months into INDIA Bloc’s formation and the grouping has started to disintegrate despite their common resolve to fight the BJP together. Be it Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or Samajwadi Party, they have given a serious reason to Congress to think for its future strategy. While Mamata Banerjee gave a fresh scare to Congress saying that the grand old party would not even win 40 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kharge while taking a jibe at the BJP inside the Rajya Sabha, said that it was because of Modi that BJP leaders were seating inside Parliament. 

    While Kharge was taking a jibe at the BJP saying that ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’ ho raha hai, he added that it was because of Narendra Modi that the saffron party got victory. This was one of the rare acceptances by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge indicating that the grand old party has conceded defeat much before the polls and is now only trying to hold the ground that it managed to retain in the 2019 polls.

    Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and Bhagwant Mann in Punjab have already refused to share seats with Congress. Samajwadi Party has already sent a veiled warning to the Congress by announcing names of 16 candidates including one from the Lucknow seat, that the Congress was demanding. Apart from Maharashtra, the Congress is yet to finalize its seat sharing with other allies and the party’s key leader Rahul Gandhi is busy carrying out solo Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. 

    On the other hand, the BJP has already managed its Hindi belt votes by breaking away Nitish Kumar in Bihar from the INDIA bloc, winning Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. With multiple visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the saffron party is also looking to improve its performance in South India, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The party is likely to do well in Karnataka and Telangana despite the opposition governments there. 

    With each passing day, the Congress is losing the opportunity to present a better counter to the BJP and the consequent delay in seat sharing and candidate announcement may hurt the INDIA bloc badly. 

  • ‘If Narendra Modi Retains Power…’: Mallikarjun Kharge Warns Of Dictatorship In India |

    NEW DELHI: In a fiery address to Congress workers in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge issued a stark warning about the future of democracy in India should Narendra Modi secure another term in office. Kharge ominously proclaimed that if Modi retains power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it could mark the end of electoral democracy in the country, paving the way for a dictatorship.

     “Under Modi’s rule, there will be no democracy, no elections; only dictatorship,” Kharge asserted, painting a dire picture of the consequences of another Modi victory. His words echoed with a sense of urgency as he urged the people to recognize the gravity of the situation, framing the upcoming elections as perhaps the last opportunity for citizens to exercise their voting rights.

     “They are giving (ED) notices to everyone. They are intimidating people… Because of fear, some are leaving friendships, some are leaving the party, and some are leaving the alliance… This is your last chance to vote. After this, there will be no voting,” he said, according to ANI.

     Kharge didn’t mince words in his critique of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), branding them as agents of poison poisoning the fabric of Indian society. He juxtaposed their divisive rhetoric with the Congress party’s vision of unity and inclusivity, championed by Rahul Gandhi’s call to foster love and harmony. 

    “Rahul Gandhi wants to unite the country, he said he has opened ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’. But the BJP and RSS have opened ‘Nafrat ki Dukaan’. It is because of this that you need to remain alert. BJP and RSS are poison, they are depriving us of our rights,” Kharge said.

    The veteran politician also took potshots at regional leaders who have aligned themselves with PM Modi, particularly targeting Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik for his perceived closeness to the Prime Minister. Kharge questioned the benefits of such alliances, suggesting that the promised “double engine” of development often fails to deliver on its lofty promises.

     

    #WATCH | Bhubaneshwar, Odisha: Addressing the Workers’ Convention, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “What did Navin Patnaik gain from his friendship with Narendra Modi? The double engine fails at times. And when the double engine doesn’t work properly, the first engine… pic.twitter.com/40QiuXdwy9


    — ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2024

     

    Referring to recent political developments, Kharge dismissed the significance of individual defections from opposition alliances, asserting that the collective strength of the opposition will prevail against the BJP. He remained steadfast in his belief that the Congress-led coalition would emerge victorious, despite setbacks such as Nitish Kumar’s departure from the Opposition bloc.

  • Nitish Kumar Breaks Away From Mahagathbandhan, INDIA Bloc; Check How Congress Reacted |

    Nitish Kumar today resigned as the Chief Minister of the Mahagathbandhan alliance and got the Bihar government dissolved via Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Talking to the media after tendering his resignation, Kumar said that he quit the INDIA bloc as all was not well within the alliance. In his first reaction to the political turmoil, Kumar said the state of affairs in the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) formed one and a half years ago was ‘not good’.

    “I resigned as chief minister and requested the Governor to dissolve the government. The situation came to this pass as the state of affairs within the ruling alliance in Bihar wasn’t good. I sought the advice and opinions of everyone before coming to this decision. I took all opinions and suggestions to heart. The government is being dissolved today,” Nitish told reporters on Sunday.

    He said that the alliance that was formed one and a half years ago, was sailing through choppy waters. “Though we came together on the basis of a common minimum programme and promises to the people, we failed to live up to expectations and discharge our salient duties. Eventually, we fell out and even stopped being on speaking terms. I was left with no option but to sever all ties with the alliance,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Congress compared Kumar with a chameleon for his frequent switchovers. “Nitish Kumar, who frequently changes political partners, is giving tough competition to the chameleons in changing colours. The people of Bihar will not forgive the experts of this betrayal and those who made them dance to their tune. It is quite clear that the Prime Minister and the BJP are scared of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and this political drama has been created to divert attention from it,” said Jairam Ramesh.

    बार-बार राजनीतिक साझेदार बदलने वाले नीतीश कुमार रंग बदलने में गिरगिटों को कड़ी टक्कर दे रहे हैं।

    इस विश्वासघात के विशेषज्ञ और उन्हें इशारों पर नचाने वालों को बिहार की जनता माफ़ नहीं करेगी।

    बिलकुल साफ़ है की भारत जोड़ो न्याय यात्रा से प्रधानमंत्री और भाजपा घबराए हुए हैं और उससे… https://t.co/v47tQ8ykaw
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 28, 2024

    Earlier today, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that he talked with Lalu Yadav on the issue. “Earlier he and us were fighting together. When I talked to Lalu Ji and Tejashwi, they also said that Nitish is going. If he wanted to stay, he would have stayed but he wants to go. That’s why we already knew this, but to keep the India Alliance intact, if we say something wrong, the wrong message will be sent. This information was already given to us by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. Today that came true. There are many people in the country like ‘Aaya Ram-Gaya Ram’,” Kharge said.

  • Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: People are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur: Congress’ Jairam Ramesh

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is with Rahul Gandhi in Manipur for ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ said that people are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur.

    The second day of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Imphal West in Manipur in the early hours of Monday.

    Jairam Ramesh told that Rahul Gandhi listened to the pain of the people in Manipur.”People are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur? Everyone wants Rahul Gandhi to raise this issue in parliament and ask the PM to come to Manipur and meet the people. You can see how many people have gathered here. Rahul ji listened to the pain of those who are not able to go to school and colleges and those who are still in relief camps,” he said.

    He further asserted that everyone in the violence-hit state wants a strong government.

    “There is no governance here since last 8 months. Two ministers here are working online; they are not even in Manipur. Everyone wants a government–a sensitive government and a strong government. This is also the question that you have the mandate; your party is in power here and in Delhi. You consider yourself a double-engine government; then why are the people in pain?” he added.The Yatra will be halted in Nagaland at night after it started from Sekmai, then will go to Kangpokpi and then Senapati in Manipur.Meanwhile on Sunday, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi flagged off the yatra from Manipur’s Thoubal. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts.

    The leaders and workers of the party paid a silent tribute to the people killed in the violence in the state before the start of the yatra.

    Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party started the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to ensure justice to the people as they are facing a period of ‘great injustice’ in the country.

    “The questions arose- why the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. It is because we are going through a period of great injustice in India. It is of all kinds – social, political and economical,” Rahul Gandhi said after launching his yatra from Manipur’s Thoubal.

  • Congress Picks Nitish Kumar As INDIA Bloc Co-ordinator: Sources

    The coordination role for the INDIA bloc has been assigned to Nitish Kumar, and an official announcement is imminent.