BJP stole popular mandate in MP by bribing MLAs: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today blasted the Bharatiya Janata Party and its leaders for stealing the popular mandates by bribing and intimidating MLAs after losing the elections. Their only aim is cling to power by any means, he remarked about the BJP.

Addressing a mammoth public rally here today, Mr Kharge questioned the claims of “clean image and clean politics” made by the BJP leaders while referring to Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh where the party (BJP) stole the popular mandate by either bribing or intimidating the MLAs to switch sides.

The Congress president said, the BJP has always been vindictive and intimidating against political opponents. He said, the party uses agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, the Vigilance to harass and intimidate its opponents. He said so many Congress leaders were being harassed and jailed. He said, after November these people, while referring to BJP leaders, will run away to Mumbai and Delhi for cover as they will be held accountable for what their misdeeds.

He added, the Congress does not believe in vindictiveness, vendetta or intimidation. “We neither intimidate people, nor get intimidated”, he asserted. He avowed that in Karnataka people had removed the corrupt BJP Srakara in recently concluded assembly election and now was the turn of the people of Madhya Pradesh to throw a more corrupt BJP government out of power.

Referring to the corruption charges, he said, in Karnataka it was 40 percent corruption while asking people how much was it in Madhya Pradesh. To this there was a unanimous shout from the crowd, “50 percent”. He told them now was the time to remove the “50 percent corrupt” government in MP.

The Congress president reiterated party’s five commitments including the waiving off of the farmers’ debt, 100 units of free power, Rs 1,500 monthly stipend for women, gas cylinder for Rs 500 and old pension scheme for the government employees.

He also announced that once Congress forms the government in MP, it will hold the caste based census which will help in better planning of resource allocation for backward classes and downtrodden people. In this context, he underlined that the Congress had given representation to 6 backward class people in its recently announced apex decision making body, the Congress Working Committee.

Mr Kharge also referred to the unfortunate incident where a BJP leader had urinated on the face of an Adivasis. He remarked, tha is how they treat the tribal people. While questioning the Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s put on act of washing the victim’s feet  Kharge questioned, would this pretence by the CM be able to wash away the urine from the victim’s mouth and the humiliation from his life?

Accepting the challenge of the union Home Minister asking Congress what it had done in 53 years, Mr Kharge said, specifically about MP, that the Bhilai Steel Plant which is now in Chhattisgarh, after a new state was carved out of MP, was set up by the Congress. Similarly Indira Sagar Dam, IIM Indore, AIIMS Bhopal, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Chambal Ghati Project, just to name a few were all set up by the Congress. “Did you set these up or did Modi set these up?” he dared Mr Shah.

Referring to over all developments  Kharge cited data of child mortality, life expectancy, literacy rates and other development indices which had phenomenally improved since independence and was possible because of the successive Congress governments from time to time. “And they ask us what we did in 70 years”, he remarked.

Kharge reminded the PM and the HM, “we saved the Constitution and the Democracy because of which you have become the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, otherwise you will be sitting in your homes”.

He warned the BJP against toying with the idea of changing the Constitution. He said, there are some people who have started talking about changing the constitution that was given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, but 140 crore people who are standing guard against it will not let them do that.

Mr Kharge also cautioned people against getting misled by Modi’s fake promises. Referring to the plans of the construction of Guru Ravi Das temple, he asked, why the BJP and Modi got the idea to build a temple after 18 years of ruling MP. He said, this was just their election gimmick. He promised that after Congress forms the government in MP, it will set up a Guru Ravi Das ji university to propagate his belief and teachings.

Addressing the rally, the MP Congress president and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath said, MP had become number one in corruption, atrocities against Dalits, unemployment and lawlessness.

Among others present on the occasion included senior leader and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, CLP leader Govind Singh, Suresh Pachauri and others.