Congress president Kharge’s advice to Modi: Seek vote on performance of govt, not hate speeches

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that after elections are over, people will remember him as the PM who indulged in "divisive and communal speeches filled with lies" to avoid an inevitable defeat.

Kharge, in an open letter to Modi, advised him to seek votes on the performance of his government over the last ten years instead of indulging in "hate speeches".

This is the second letter that the Congress chief has written to the PM in over a week's time. In his last letter, Kharge sought time from the PM to explain in person his party's manifesto titled 'Nyay Patra'.

In the letter posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kharge rebutted the attack and charges made against his party in the PM's letter to NDA candidates ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Recently, Modi wrote personalised letters to all BJP candidates contesting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 7.

Referring to Modi’s letter, Kharge said, “From the tone and content of the letter it seems that there is a lot of desperation and worry in you which is leading you to use language that does not suit the office of the Prime Minister.”

Prime Minister Modi has asked the BJP-led NDA candidates in the Lok Sabha polls to spread awareness among voters about the Congress's intention to snatch "reservation from SC, ST and OBC communities and give it away to their vote bank".

"Our guarantees are so simple and clear, that we don’t have to explain it to them. For your benefit, I will reiterate them here," Kharge said in his letter and elaborated on the party's Yuva Nyay, Nari Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay.

"We have heard you and the Home Minister say that Congress is practising appeasement politics. The only appeasement policy that we have seen in the last 10 years is the appeasement of Chinese by you and your ministers. Even today, you refuse to call China as 'Ghuspaithiye', instead on June 19, 2020, you said 'Na Koi Ghusa Hai, Na Hi Koi Ghus Aaya hai', insulting the supreme sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan," the Congress chief said in the letter.

Alleging that BJP used electoral bond as quid pro quo arrangement, Kharge accused the BJP of amassing Rs 8,250 crore through the "illegal and unconstitutional" scheme.

He said Modi's letter "lies" that Congress wants to bring Inheritance Tax when it is a former BJP Finance Minister and BJP party leaders who have repeatedly mentioned they want Inheritance Tax.