Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress fighting second war of independence against communalism, inequality

Ahmedabad: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party was fighting a ‘second war of independence’ and the fight was against the enemies like communalism, injustice, inequality, poverty and discrimination.

Speaking at the AICC session here on Wednesday, the Congress president said the only difference is that earlier injustice, inequality and poverty were promoted and resorted to by the foreign rulers, but now it is our own government which is doing that.

‘Ruling party attacking the Constitution’

“At that time, the foreign government took advantage of communalism, and now it is our own government which is taking advantage,” he remarked, while asserting, “but we will win this war.”

He said, during the last eleven years, the ruling party was continuously attacking the Constitution. “Our constitutional values and constitutional institutions are continuously under attack,” he remarked.

Kharge pointed out, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was not allowed to speak during the Budget Session, though the Speaker had taken his name. “What is happening today, never ever happened in the past”, he noted, adding, “Instead of debating important issues, government is resorting to polarisation.”

‘Ruling government not addressing issues’

He pointed out that the US imposed a 26 per cent tariff on Indian imports, and the matter should have been debated in the Parliament, but the government did not do that.

Kharge observed that a monopoly was being created in the country. He pointed out, public sector undertakings were being privatised. He said, by selling PSUs, the government has denied lakhs of permanent jobs to youth and denied reservation benefits to the SCs, STs, OBCs and the EWS people from the general category.

‘ECI ignoring Opposition issues’

Speaking about the malpractices in elections, he said the Election Commission of India was not prepared to entertain complaints of the opposition parties. He stated that a fake voter list was prepared in Maharashtra. He said, while the world was moving towards the ‘ballot papers’, the ECI was refusing to take note of it.

Flagging the grim economic scenario prevailing in the country, he disclosed that 15 lakh well-to-do Indians have migrated and settled abroad. He said, those going abroad to seek jobs due to unemployment here were sent back in chains, while those who looted banks here were comfortably staying there (abroad).

Taking a dig at the current government, he said, it was suggesting as if everything started happening in India since 2014 only. Instead, he said, this government abolished the Planning Commission in 2014.

Discrimination against Opposition states

He said, during the last 11 years, the Central government has been discriminating against Opposition states. He observed, the tradition of a healthy Centre-State relationship has been shredded to pieces. He cited the example of states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana and Jharkhand, which have been subjected to step-motherly treatment and deprived of the funds they rightfully deserve.

Referring to yesterday’s judgement by the Supreme Court on the role of governors, he said he said, now they (governors) cannot sit over the decisions of the elected governments.

The Congress president hit out at the ‘communalisation and commercialisation of education.’ He said, the government was playing with the future of youth and was deliberately denying the Dalit, OBC and Adivasi students the chance to get higher education under a conspiracy so that they are forced to work as cheap labourers.

‘Modi govt crushed farmers agitation’

The Congress president accused prime minister Narendra Modi-led government of crushing the farmers’ agitation and backing out of its promises of the MSP and doubling their income.

Similarly, he added, labour laws were being weakened and trade unions crushed. He said wages had remained stagnant for the last 10 years.

Taking a dig at the government’s slogan of “Make in India”, he disclosed that by the government’s own admission, five lakh medium and small enterprise units had shut down during the last five years.

Referring to inflation, he said, the day-to-day survival of the common man had become difficult. He specifically mentioned the rise in petroleum and gas cylinder prices even though the prices had come down in the international market. While exhorting the Congress workers to work hard, he said, those who cannot work for the party should take rest, and those who can’t discharge their duties should retire.