BJP making an attempt to misuse my remarks; politics just isn’t about people however insurance policies: Kharge on ‘Ravan’ row

Going through flak from the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) over his “Ravan” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the ruling celebration of misusing his remarks for electoral features in Gujarat, and stated that politics just isn’t about people however insurance policies. In his first response over the controversy, Kharge instructed PTI that he believes in “efficiency politics”, however the BJP’s fashion of politics usually lacks the spirit of democracy as “they make it about one particular person solely, who’s in all places”.

On the Aam Aadmi Social gathering’s (AAP) prospects within the ongoing Gujarat elections, he alleged that it was working at someone’s behest “to divide the Congress’s votes.” Requested whether or not private assaults, resembling his personal “Ravan” jibe, have grow to be a key function of the marketing campaign, Kharge stated, “They’re misusing it for electoral features.” “For us, politics just isn’t about people. It’s about insurance policies, it’s about their (BJP’s) efficiency, and it’s about the kind of politics they observe. They make it about just one particular person, who’s in all places,” the veteran Congress chief stated.

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“The BJP’s and PM’s fashion of politics usually lacks the spirit of democracy. I gave so many situations concerning his fashion of campaigning in any respect ranges of elections, however they’re misusing my comment for electoral features,” Kharge stated. “I do not touch upon any particular person or make private remarks as a result of I even have expertise of parliamentary politics for 51 years. I criticised (the BJP authorities) on the problems of growth, inflation, unemployment, poverty,” he stated. Talking at a rally in Ahmedabad earlier this week, Kharge had stated PM Modi asks folks to vote ” his face” in all elections. “Are you 100-headed like Ravan?” he had stated.

The BJP seized on the remark, calling it an insult to each Gujarati. Talking in regards to the prime minister’s whirlwind marketing campaign in Gujarat, Kharge stated it displays badly on the BJP authorities’s efficiency within the state. “Did any PM (previously) marketing campaign like this? Once I was a pupil, I used to see Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, then I noticed Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, then I noticed even Morarji Desai and leaders of different events…Had the BJP authorities within the state labored for the folks for the previous 27 years, there wouldn’t have been the necessity to marketing campaign a lot,” he stated.

Requested in regards to the AAP’s aggressive marketing campaign and the celebration contesting 181 of 182 seats in Gujarat this time, Kharge stated its sole intention was to undermine the Congress. “They’re doing propaganda. Our suggestions is that they wish to disturb the Congress vote. I do not wish to say something as a result of even when I inform the reality, it is going to be used as propaganda towards Congress. Some folks have been despatched to contest towards Congress to divide the votes. So that’s their primary function. In any other case, what number of cubicles, what number of villages, what number of panchayats they’ve gone to? They’ve gone to solely the cities,” he stated. Questioning the place the Arvind Kejriwal-led celebration was getting funds for placing out full-page commercials in all Gujarati and English newspapers, Kharge stated it was a celebration born out of Anna Hazare’s (anti-corruption) motion.

Requested if he was insinuating that the BJP had introduced within the AAP to eat into the Congress’s votes, Kharge stated he had acquired suggestions from celebration leaders which reveals that AAP was engaged on “someone’s directions”. “I will not say that they (the BJP) have despatched them. AAP’s work itself displays that. The way in which they’re working, and (going by) my suggestions from my native leaders, district leaders, reveals that they’re engaged on someone’s directions,” he stated. The Congress, which has been out of energy in Gujarat for 27 years, carried out a “silent” marketing campaign this time, Kharge stated.

“The individuals are responding. In tribal, rural, and backward areas, Congress has obtained an edge. Even the higher caste individuals are fed up with this authorities attributable to inflation, unemployment, corruption, the financial development which is falling every day,” he stated. “Silently, individuals are working towards the BJP, they’ve made up their minds (to oust it). So our voters are invisible, however our individuals are working. Our voters are invisible for varied causes. The BJP has been (in energy) in Gujarat for 27 years, and for 9 years, Modi ji is in Delhi. Even the media is afraid, if anyone speaks the reality, they are going to be harassed in numerous methods,” the 80-year-old chief stated.

Speaking in regards to the Congress’s subdued, door-to-door marketing campaign, Kharge recalled Indira Gandhi’s comeback victory from Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in 1978 when the voters weren’t vocal about their alternative however favoured the previous prime minister. “Why I’m saying invisible voters?…if someone says one thing within the open, an FIR might be lodged towards her or him. Our work is happening silently,” he stated. Requested what would the Congress do to cease its MLAs from defecting to the BJP — which occurred after 2017 elections — he stated the BJP “purchased over” these MLAs “by utilizing central businesses and blackmail.” “That’s the reason we’re saying, to avoid wasting democracy, defeat the BJP,” the Congress president stated. Beneath the BJP’s rule, the general public debt of Gujarat has elevated enormously, Kharge claimed. “After we went out of energy within the Nineties, the debt was Rs 10,000 crore, now it’s nearing 4,60,000 crore,” he stated.