Modi became PM to fill stomachs of the rich, says Kharge

PTI, May 2, 2024, 9:13 AM IST

Jewargi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said Narendra Modi did not become the prime minister of the country to ensure the welfare of the people, but to fill the stomachs of the rich and to help them loot the country and exploit the poor.

The AICC chief was addressing a public meeting here in favour of the Congress candidate from Gulbarga Lok Sabha segment, his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani. The segment goes to polls on May 7.

Kharge, who has represented Gulbarga twice in the past in Parliament, lost to BJP’s Umesh Jadhav in the 2019 general elections here — the octogenarian leader’s first electoral loss in his political life spanning several decades.

He is not contesting this time, citing his age along with the role of managing the Congress party nationally and coordinating with the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

“Our alliance (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) of 26 parties are fighting together, which Modi makes fun of stating that we don’t have any leader, while he is there (for NDA). He says ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ (if Modi is around, anything is possible). He claims he has a 56-inch chest, what should we do with it? Do we have to go to a tailor and get it measured?” Kharge asked.

While addressing a public meeting here, he said, “Modi did not become prime minister for the welfare of the people, Modi is prime minister to fill the stomachs of the rich, to help the rich loot and to exploit the poor by listening to RSS. He has no care for the poor and he doesn’t listen to them.”

Kharge also claimed that after the Congress’s criticism about President Droupadi Murmu not being invited for consecration of the Ram lalla idol at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, she has been invited, and she paid a visit to the temple today. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were among other Congress leaders present at the public meeting.

Highlighting points from Congress’s election manifesto, Kharge claimed that Modi is frustrated and disappointed after looking at the party’s pro-people manifesto, and hence he has started attacking the Congress party. “I don’t know how many times he (Modi) takes god’s name. I don’t know how many gods he prays to at home, but he doesn’t stop attacking the Congress. Every day he speaks against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and me, and tries to create hate among people towards us,” he said.

Also accusing Modi of trying to create a rift between communities, he said the PM has even compared the Congress’s manifesto to that of the Muslim League. “So I asked for his time to explain to him (Modi) about our manifesto. I wrote a letter to him, to which he has not responded yet. He has not responded because he has nothing to say,” he added.

Listing out the ‘Nyay Guarantees’ of Congress, the AICC chief accusing Modi of being pro-rich said, “The fight (in this polls) is between Modi on one side and the people of the country on the other side. The people will decide.”