Mallikarjun Kharge attacks PM Modi, RSS in Rajya Sabha, remarks expunged

During his speech in the Upper House on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Kharge was also engaged in an exchange with the leader of the House J P Nadda, who said the Congress leader had no knowledge about the RSS and whatever he was saying about the organisation was regrettable.

Kharge also demanded the Agniveer Scheme be scrapped. He said the morale of the youth has been destroyed by bringing an “unplanned scheme”.

At the beginning of his speech, Kharge said the speech of the President’s address was written by the government. “The government had to make it a vision document. It was important to tell how challenges will be overcome. But, there was no such content.”

“We were confident that the President would keep some points on the challenges to the Constitution and democracy and that a strong message would be given for the weakest sections. We were seriously disappointed that there was nothing for the poor, Dalits, Backwards and minorities,” Kharge said.

Kharge said the PM who used to target coalition governments in the past is now forced to run one because of the people’s will. “What should we call you now that you have formed a coalition government,” asked Kharge.

Kharge said in the last decade, Parliamentary institutions and rules “have been weakened” and the Opposition has been ignored. “In their (BJP’s) thinking, they had a Parliament with no Opposition… If they didn’t have the thinking, the post of Deputy Speaker wouldn’t have been vacant in the 17th Lok Sabha…”

“In this Rajya Sabha the PM had said, thumping his chest, that ‘ek akela sab pe bhari’ (one is dominant against all)… The election results have shown that the people and the Constitution are dominant on all. In democracy, there is no place for arrogant slogans,” said Kharge to which slogans of “Modi, Modi” were raised by the ruling party members.

The Congress leader said the PM has said that people don’t want slogans, but substance.

The ongoing violence in Manipur also featured in Kharge’s speech. “Houses are being ruined, women and people are being targeted. You should have gone at least for one day to Manipur… Why didn’t you go to Manipur?” “Sabka saath, sabka vikas? You stood by a few, and developed a few. You ruined the poor. All these slogans. What is the reality? The country knows,” said Kharge.

He said that the Lok Sabha polls “were in the words of the common people an election for breaking the arrogance”.