Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday underscored that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were not solely a confrontation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but rather a battle against the ‘Manuwadi’ ideology entrenched within the ruling dispensation.
Speaking at a poll rally for Congress’ Nagpur Lok Sabha candidate Vikas Thakre, who faces BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Mr. Kharge reiterated the party’s commitment to safeguarding Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution, which upholds the rights of 140 crore Indians.
Highlighting Mr. Thakre’s grassroots origins, the 81-year-old leader said that he was chosen not for his high profile, but for his dedication to combating the Manuwadi ideology, rooted in the Manusmriti. “Mr. Thakre is not a high-profile candidate but a ground-level worker. He has been selected to defeat Manuwadi ideology. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls is not a fight against Mr. Modi or Mr. Gadkari but against Manuwadi ideology,” he said.
The Congress president warned of dire consequences should the RSS-BJP alliance prevail, alleging that they would dismantle the Constitution, leading to a cessation of future elections and lamented the BJP’s attempts to capitalise on Ram Temple and Babasaheb Ambedkar, despite their historical neglect of these icons and the national flag.
“The Congress worked for the country’s freedom but now Mr. Modi asks what the party has done in the past 70 years. The RSS did nothing during the freedom struggle but now they come asking for votes in the name of Ram Temple and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Leave alone a photo of Ambedkar, these people did not even keep the national flag in their offices,” Mr. Kharge said.
He criticised Mr. Modi’s administration for its economic performance, contrasting the GDP growth rates under the UPA rule with those under Mr. Modi. He accused the BJP of harbouring corrupt leaders and criticised their selective exoneration process within the party. Asserting the significance of voting rights, Mr. Kharge attributed their existence to the tireless efforts of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dr. Ambedkar.
He reiterated their party’s commitment to an all-inclusive manifesto, aimed at uplifting the marginalised sections of society.
The Congress leader accused the ruling dispensation of disrespecting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, citing instances where former President Ramnath Kovind and President Droupadi Murmu were allegedly excluded from significant events. Earlier in the day, Mr. Kharge paid tributes to social reformer and jurist Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 133rd birth anniversary at Deekshabhoomi here.
Shah’s swipe at Rahul
Meanwhile, addressing a campaign rally at Sakoli town in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, recalling the unfulfilled promise of poverty eradication made by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during her tenure, and subsequently by her son Rajiv Gandhi’s government.
He dismissed Mr. Gandhi’s pledge to eradicate poverty, highlighting the lack of results from similar assurances made by the Gandhi family in the past.
“Mr. Gandhi talks about implementing a poverty eradication programme but fails to acknowledge that his grandmother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, made the same promise. She, along with her son Rajiv Gandhi and later Sonia Gandhi, held power, yet poverty persisted. How can we trust Rahul Gandhi’s assurances?” the BJP leader questioned, a day after Mr. Gandhi addressed a poll rally at Sakoli.
Mr. Shah also refuted the Congress leader’s claims about the BJP threatening the Constitution if it secures a majority in Parliament. “Mr. Gandhi talks about how BJP would misuse the majority in Parliament if it wins a third term. I want to tell him that the BJP had the majority in the last 10 years, and we used the majority to remove Article 370 and triple talaq,” he said.
Addressing concerns raised by the Opposition regarding reservation, he said the BJP would uphold reservation policies in employment and education, asserting that the party would never entertain any attempts to abolish them.
Highlighting the BJP’s manifesto, Mr. Shah outlined plans for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code and the adoption of a ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy. “After coming to power, the BJP will implement the Uniform Civil Code in the country and exercise the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy. You have to choose between a Prime Minister who never took a holiday for a single day and the INDIA bloc parties busy in getting their relatives elected,” the BJP leader added.
