Jagadhari (Haryana) | Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'Jhoothon Ka Sardar' and accused him of lying about Congress's manifesto to mislead the public.
Addressing his first rally in Haryana here in Yamunanagar district, Kharge slammed Modi for his saying that the Congress was planning to redistribute wealth and take away women's mangalsutras.
"If Congress comes to power, it will snatch away all your properties. After getting X-ray done, where is mangalsutra, where is gold, silver and will take it out, give it to others," he said Modi said in his rallies.
"If you have 2 acres, one acre will be given to others, if you have two buffaloes, one will be given to Muslims. He (Modi) said this … These are not our words," Kharge said in the district's Jagadhri city.
"If a PM sitting in such a position says these things, then what should we say? Should such people be given votes again?" he asked the gathering. "He is a 'jhoothon ka sardar.'" Congress candidate from Ambala Lok Sabha seat Varun Chaudhary and AAP's Kurukshetra candidate Sushil Gupta were also present at the rally.
Congress is contesting nine seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party, its partner in the INDIA bloc, is contesting the Kurukshetra seat for the May 25 polls.
Kharge said the alliance will bring a caste census, and it will do it for the good of the public, not to snatch anyone's property.
He said the Congress is fighting against the ideology of RSS -- a Hindu right body and the ideological parent of the BJP.
"You are snatching the Constitution and we are fighting against it. You want to end democracy and we are fighting it," Kharge said.
The Congress president said the current fight is between the people and Modi, and the people and the BJP. "Because, people are fed up with them." Kharge also sought BJP's response on its promise of 2 crore jobs each year, Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account, and doubling of farmers' income.
"Did you get it?" he asked the gathering. "...Did he give (jobs)... How can a PM tell such a lie?" "The Prime Minister is a liar. Raise your hands, he is a liar," he exhorted the people, adding, "What is wrong if I call such a prime minister 'jhoothon ka sardar.'" Kharge said he is confident that the INDIA bloc will come to power. "The Modi government is not coming, I can say that with certainty.".
The Congress leader said the party's election manifesto is for Dalits, the poor, women, weaker and deprived sections, farmers, and the youth. "It is not for any particular community or religion." He lashed out at Modi over the now-repealed three farm laws and death of "750 farmers" during their agitation against the reforms at Delhi's borders.
"'Tumne sabka saath to liya, lekin sabka satyanash kar diya' (You took support from everyone, but then you destroyed them)," he said Kharge from the dias also paid tribute to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.
He said it was under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi that the Congress got the biggest mandate with 414 seats in 1984.
He hailed him for framing 11 "important" policies, including the anti-defection law, laying the foundation of communication, IT and computerisation.
"Today women are sarpanches, Dalits are sarpanches, OBC are sarpanches," it is all because of the Congress, he said.
He said it was Rajiv Gandhi, at whose initiative, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18.
"We do not lie like Modi. We have shown what work we have done.
"We did everything, that is why Modi ji you became the Prime Minister of the country," he said and listed such projects as Bhakra dam, and factories like HMT, HAL, BEL set up under the Congress.
"You (Modi) say the country is secure because of you. 'Tum to pahad khod ke chuha nikalne wale log hai,'" Kharge said, adding, it was former prime minister Indira Gandhi who divided Pakistan into two and freed Bangladesh.
"You always say I did this and I did that. What Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did for the nation, that is called work," he said.
Kharge also took exception to Modi likening Congress's manifesto to a "Muslim League manifesto" and said, "He must read it. If he cannot read it properly, we can send one person from the Congress office to make you understand." Kharge, holding a copy of the Constitution in his hands, said: "This fight is to save the Constitution and democracy in the country."