Kharge accuses BJP of betraying Chhattisgarh, says Congress will fight back

Raipur, July 7 (IANS) At a charged public gathering in Raipur titled ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Samvidhan’, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sweeping attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led central government, accusing them of betraying the people of Chhattisgarh and undermining the Constitution.

He accused them of undermining constitutional values, dismantling welfare schemes, and failing to address pressing national crises. In a speech marked by sharp political barbs and emotional appeals, the Congress chief positioned the Congress as the defender of India’s democratic fabric and the voice of the marginalised.

Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is propped up by allies like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, claiming that Modi is “walking on the legs of Nitish and Naidu” and could collapse without their support anytime. He accused the BJP of working in tandem with these allies to exploit the poor, while asserting that Congress workers are prepared to sacrifice their lives to protect the rights of the people.

He criticised the BJP for failing to implement the reservation Bill passed by the previous Congress government, which aimed to expand quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

“We worked to give reservations to ST, SC, and OBC, but till date there is no trace of the Bill,” Kharge said, calling it a betrayal of social justice. He also took aim at the BJP’s economic promises, reminding the crowd that Modi had pledged to provide LPG cylinders at Rs 500 if elected. “Today, the price is beyond Rs 900,” he said, adding that during Congress rule, even a Rs 1 hike in petrol prices would spark public protests—something he described as a “trick” designed by the BJP to discredit the UPA government.

He condemned PM Modi’s absence from an all-party meeting convened after the Pahalgam terror attack, despite being invited. “We all attended, but Modi did not,” he said. He also lambasted the Prime Minister for not visiting Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.

“Modi is visiting 50 countries but is not able to go to Manipur so far, why?” Kharge asked. “Rapes are happening, people are being killed, houses are burning—but he hasn’t gone there even once.” In a pointed reference to recent remarks from the RSS, Kharge read aloud from the BJP’s own constitution, highlighting that the word “secular” is enshrined in it. Without naming anyone, he criticised those who have called for the removal of the term from the Indian Constitution. “They want to erase the word that protects the poor and underprivileged from all sections of society,” he said, warning that such efforts threaten the very foundation of India’s democracy.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress leader Sachin Pilot echoed Kharge’s sentiments, criticising the BJP for dismantling welfare schemes, failing to provide employment, and neglecting farmers’ needs. Baghel warned that the future of schoolchildren is at risk, while Pilot emphasised that the Congress would fight the 2028 elections with the same unity and resolve that brought them to power in the past.

The rally marked a renewed push by the Congress to reclaim political ground in Chhattisgarh, positioning itself as the guardian of constitutional values and the voice of the voiceless.

--IANS

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