If Congress is nothing, then...: Kharge's dig at Modi

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that as the first round of voting for the Lok Sabha polls was over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of invisible voters, and that's why he is always criticising the Congress party.

If the Congress is nothing, why is the Prime Minister bothered about the grand old party, Kharge asked at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.

He said he had travelled to nearly 10-12 states and added the party was getting a very good response from voters there.

"I hope the undercurrent, that I can say, is not visible, but Modiji is afraid of these invisible voters who will come out in the election, and that's why he is always criticising the Congress," Kharge told reporters.

If the BJP will get 400 seats this time and they have such great confidence, then why is the saffron party welcoming corrupt people to their fold, the veteran leader asked.

"You (the BJP) say on one side that Modi never tolerates corruption. Then you purchase...instead of purchase, I will say you lured nearly 444 MLAs, irrespective of the parties to which they belong," he further said.

He charged that the BJP also welcomed 23 big people, including chief ministers, contractors, and others, in the past, and as soon as they joined the saffron party, "they became clean."

Taking a dig at the BJP, he further said as long as they were with the Congress or other opposition parties, those leaders were very corrupt.

"I am not able to understand that a man who ruled this country for nearly 10 years as a PM and for nearly 13 and a half years as a chief minister is not able to distinguish who is corrupt...who is good...and who is bad," he said.

It is unfortunate for the country that such a man is ruling, he said, adding that Modi and Amit Shah have very big "washing machines" to clean up corrupt people.

Accusing the Prime Minister of acting like a "petty politician," the AICC president said he had forgotten everything he had said earlier and during the 2019 elections.

Saying that Modi had promised two crore jobs to youngsters, he asked where those two crore jobs were.

Kharge recalled how Modi had promised to give Rs 15 lakh to every family and double the income of farmers. The PM also announced that he would bring back the black money kept outside by the Congress, he said.

Kharge asked the people to judge whether the PM or the Congress is lying.

"When I say Modiji you are a liar, then people ask why Khargeji is calling a Prime Minister a liar like this. Because these are facts...you cannot hide," he said.

The AICC chief also criticised Modi's guarantee slogan being used by the PM and the BJP during the campaigning for the polls this time.

"What is Modi's guarantee? Something not to implement whatever promises he gives. That is the guarantee," he alleged.

Modi's guarantee is that he will not fulfil the promises he is making, the Congress veteran charged.

Alleging the Prime Minister was thoroughly "frustrated," he said that's why Modi is saying that the Congress would take the money and other assets of the Hindu community and give them to Muslims.

"Has he said that or not? That's why I request you (media)...appeal to you...you highlight these things... to save this country...to save democracy, and to save the Constitution," he said.

Kharge also criticised Modi's alleged reference to Muslims as a community that has more children.

"I (myself) have got five children. What can I do?" he asked on a lighter note.

Criticising Modi for giving religious connotation to the number of children, the Congress leader pointed out that even Ambedkar was the 14th child in his family.

Accusing Modi of trying to destroy the country by connecting everything with religion, Kharge wanted him to read more about this country's history and learn how to keep the nation united.

He said the PM never listens to others' words and never even allows presspersons to ask questions.