New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (November 1, 2022) attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Morbi bridge collapse incident in Gujarat and said that they inaugurated a bridge that fell in just five days. He also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the poll schedule for the Himachal Pradesh was announced but not for Gujarat so that the PM can inaugurate many more bridges like the one that collapsed in Morbi. The collapse of the bridge on Sunday evening claimed 135 lives. Kharge slammed PM Modi for taking digs when a similar incident had happened in West Bengal.
“You had repaired that bridge … Which fell and took the lives of women, children and elderly. So Modi lies and if you keep supporting lies, the country will be destroyed,” Kharge, who joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hyderabad for the first time after being elected to the top party post, said.
Every step and every voice matters. We all should come together for an equal & empowered India.
We all strive to restore the nation’s unity & harmony for the glory of India.Joined @RahulGandhi ji in the #BharatJodoYatra in Hyderabad, today.@revanth_anumula pic.twitter.com/npvOUsoOux— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) November 1, 2022
“Our (Congress) work is before you. Modi used to say what was done in 70 years and I kept saying that if nothing had been done in 70 years, you would not have become PM.
“You became PM as Jawaharlal Nehru strengthened the foundations of democracy. We strengthened democracy and you got the benefit of that,” Kharge said, hitting out at Modi.
He said it was Congress that protected the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar.
“He (Modi) has been roaming in Gujarat for six days. Himachal polls schedule was announced but not for Gujarat because he has to inaugurate many more such bridges like the one that collapsed in Morbi,” the new Congress president said.
He also criticised the Centre over the unemployment issue and said that 13 lakh government jobs are available in the country “but the PM announced he will give only 75,000 jobs”.
“There are six lakh jobs for SC/ST and OBC. You are not filling up those posts and boasting about 75,000 jobs,” he said.
Taking on Modi, Kharge said, “You promised two crore jobs, now eight years have passed where are the 16 crore jobs, give an account of that.”
“If you keep lying in this manner, the country’s youth will rise like we are seeing during the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he added.
Kharge also slammed Centre over the rising prices of essential commodities.
He alleged the BJP and the RSS are trying to divide the people of the country, making people fight among themselves over religion and language.
If anyone will bring a non-BJP govt, it will be under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership
Mallikarjun Kharge also said that Congress will bring a non-BJP government at the Centre under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
“If anyone will bring a non-BJP government, then under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, under Congress’ leadership, we will do it. We have that strength in us,” he asserted.
To bring the Congress to power at the Centre, it is important to work with full strength and commitment, he said.
He also exuded confidence that the Congress will form government at the Centre in 2024 and said the UPA government had done a lot of good work.
(With agency inputs)