Dalits, Tribals Will Become Slaves Again If Modi, Shah Get Third Term: Mallikarjun Kharge

Image Credit: ANI

Dhule: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed that a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would mean the poor, Dalits and tribals would be “treated like slaves”.

Addressing a campaign rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule constituency, Kharge accused Modi of failing to deliver on his promises of bringing back black money and providing jobs.

“Before Independence, the poor, Dalits and tribals were treated like slaves. If you give a third term to Modi and Shah, the same situation will repeat. We will become slaves again,” he said.

Congress has fielded former MLA Shobha Bachhav against ex-Union minister Subhash Bhamre of BJP from Dhule Lok Sabha constituency which will vote on May 20.

“RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had said in 2015 that the Constitution should be changed. Later, many BJP MPs and saffron party leaders also made similar statements," Kharge said.

He accused PM Modi of “spreading lies”. Modi chest-thumped about bringing back black money from abroad but never delivered on that promise, said Kharge.

“He claimed to provide two crore jobs every year but never did. Instead of increasing farmers’ income, as per his claims, his wrong policies increased the production cost for growers. That is why Modi should be removed from power,” Kharge added. He also brought up the issue of social unrest in Manipur due to ethnic clashes.

"When the people of Manipur were suffering so much, Modi never uttered a single word about it. He is a coward who did not even visit there. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, started his Nyay Yatra from there and also interacted with people.

"Modi talks about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas', but what he did is 'Sabka Satyanash' (destruction)," the Congress leader said. Kharge said if voted to power, the Congress government will fill all 30 lakh vacant seats in various departments of the Central government.

"The only reason Modi did not fill these vacancies was because doing so would have meant application of quotas. He didn't want more Dalits and backward communities to get jobs," he alleged.

Kharge also accused the BJP of trying to create communal division in the country.

"Instead of talking about the works he did, Modi talks on Hindu-Muslim issues. He talks about Mughal, Muslims and 'Mangalsutra', which is divisive. You cannot fool all the people all the time," the Congress president said.

He cited some "internal reports" to claim that Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, would give maximum seats to the INDIA bloc.