Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was essential to remove him from power in order to save democracy, adding that several BJP governments in the country, including at the Centre, were formed on “stolen mandate”.
“Be it the central government, governments in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, they are ‘chori’ governments (formed on stolen mandate). Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee are participating in the march, which began at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan. But they remained adamant.”
Union home minister Amit Shah said, “Our party held a press conference requesting that they not hold the event on 1-2-3 Nov—the very days the anti-Sikh riots took place—as it would deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, including mothers, sisters, and children.
We have to throw out these ‘vote chor’,” Kharge said.
Zarur jayega (Modi will go. Follow INDIA bloc rally LIVE updates here. Other senior leaders, including union minister JP Nadda, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, also criticised Congress and Gandhi over disrupting local and small businesses and accused him of hurting and disrespecting sentiments of the Sikh community.
Reiterating his earlier remark on prime minister Modi’s ouster, which also led to a political row, Kharge said, “ Modi jayega. He will definitely go.)” The Congress chief had courted controversy last month after he said, “ Modi ka baap bhi jayega. (Even Modi’s father will go.)” BJP had hit back at Kharge and the Opposition, calling them anti-Indians and asserting that PM Modi was “not going anywhere”. Kharge accused the prime minister of “vote theft” and attempting to divide people, asserting that the Opposition would fight unitedly to strengthen democracy and protect the country. “ Modi jayega to hi loktantra bachega, Modi ko hatayenge tabhi loktantra ko bachenyenge, Modi ko hatao loktantra ko bachao (Remove Modi to save democracy),” he said.
