BJP's only concern is elections, not people's problems — Congress chief Kharge

BJP's only concern is elections, not people's problems — Congress chief Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday attacked the ruling BJP at the Centre, saying its only concern is how to win elections, not solving problems faced by the people.

He said the country faces problems like inflation and unemployment and the "economic situation is turning bad".

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was raising these issues, and people from varied backgrounds and professions are joining the march, Kharge said.

"Seeing the yatra's success, the BJP is feeling scared. They keep saying one thing or the other against the Congress," he said, addressing a public meeting here on the last day of the Yatra's Punjab leg before it moved to Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the march, also addressing the public meeting.

Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Kharge said, "They don't have to work for the welfare of the country or to resolve people's problems....their attention is on elections and how to win them."

He said when the opposition tries to raise issues concerning the public in Parliament, the government does not want to discuss them.

On the BJP's national executive meeting held recently in Delhi, the Congress chief alleged no discussion was held on national security or the country's welfare during the two-day conference as the sole focus was how to win next year's general elections. "This is their only plan, they have no other plan."

Kharge further alleged that "the BJP and the RSS people are dividing the society".

The BJP talks about farmers "but Prime Minister did not shed a single tear when 700 peasants died during the agitation against the farm laws", he added.

"But if people from our party leave us to join them, he cries in Parliament. Did you see that or not," Kharge asked, apparently referring to Ghulam Nabi Azad, who quit the Congress last year.

"I don't want to take anyone's name. But if any our party members supports them, he worries a lot about them, but not farmers," he added.

Kharge said some of the Centre's policies like demonetisation destroyed small and medium enterprises, but these do not bother the prime minister "who is carefree".

"If India's unity is to be preserved, if politics of hatred has to be given up, then we will have to save the Constitution," he told the gathering.

"...In Manusmriti or RSS ideologies, women have no place and they are looked down upon. They are not permitted to get educated. I was watching a video of the Taliban suppressing women who wanted education. Earlier, our situation was also like that. And today, RSS and the BJP are trying to bring back the same situation. It is your job to stop that. You have to save democracy and the Constitution," he told the gathering.