Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said India never suffered such a bad government which levied taxes on bread and pencils used by children, spread hate in the entire country and instigated conflicts everywhere.
Addressing a big rally in the course of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra’s Nanded, Kharge said: “Some people chanting ‘Modi-Modi’ in the country and abroad doesn’t mean Narendra Modi is doing good work. He has spread hate in the country. There are conflicts everywhere. Democracy and individual freedom are in danger.”
Kharge added: “Modi sold the dream of 2 crore jobs every year and is now organising events to distribute appointment letters for 75,000 jobs when there are over 30 lakh vacancies. Can you expect such a person to help the youth? He says nothing happened in the last 70 years, and is recklessly selling whatever assets the Congress created — public sector units, airports, ports, roads, railways. What have you done over the years except for jumlebazi?”
Appealing to the country to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi, Kharge said: “A fearless leader who won’t ever compromise with principles, Rahul Gandhi has ventured out to unite the country, to save democracy and constitutional rule. Without democracy, we can’t live with dignity. Rahul Gandhi isn’t walking for publicity — for appearing in newspapers and television channels. He is walking to safeguard your future.”
Rahul said the Bharat Jodo Yatra was moving on the strength of people’s love and support. He too attacked Modi for taxing agriculture equipment, fertilisers and food, figuratively explaining that “Modi had installed pumps to suck out money from the people’s pockets”.
He mentioned demonetisation, GST and high prices of essential commodities to buttress his charge, iterating that the entire wealth of the country was being handed over to two-three industrialists.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra witnessed exceptional crowds and energy in Nanded, with NCP leaders Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad and actor Sushant Singh and several social activists joining the walk.
The NCP leaders were also felicitated at the public rally afterwards, reinforcing the Congress’s determination to take along its trusted partners.
Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray was also expected to join the Yatra on Thursday but he will now come later.
Around 30,000 people were waiting to receive the Yatra at 9.45pm when it entered Maharashtra two days ago. Not a single of the 120 designated Yatris has chosen to opt out over the last 63 days.
Asked if Rahul was being repackaged through the Yatra that is drawing crowds, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said: “Rahul is not a product which needs to be packaged. It is the real Rahul Gandhi that the world is seeing; a Rahul Gandhi without distortions by the troll army and the media.”
Asserting that Rahul always represented the same ideology that the Bharat Jodo Yatra symbolised, Ramesh said: “One of the reasons for undertaking this yatra was to start a direct conversation with the people of India. Rahul was not allowed to speak in Parliament. Even in parliamentary committees, there was no freedom to express his views. What he said was either not shown or distorted. So he said, ‘why not go on an India tour to talk to the people directly’.”
