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

Going through flak from the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) over his “Ravan” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the ruling occasion of misusing his remarks for electoral positive aspects in Gujarat, and mentioned that politics isn’t about people however insurance policies.

In his first response over the controversy, Mr. Kharge advised PTI that he believes in “efficiency politics”, however the BJP’s model of politics typically lacks the spirit of democracy as “they make it about one particular person solely, who’s in all places”.

On the Aam Aadmi Get together’s (AAP) prospects within the ongoing Gujarat elections, he alleged that it was working at any person’s behest “to divide the Congress’s votes.” Requested whether or not private assaults, corresponding to his personal “Ravan” jibe, have turn into a key function of the marketing campaign, Mr. Kharge mentioned, “They’re misusing it for electoral positive aspects.” “For us, politics 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 apply. They make it about just one particular person, who’s in all places,” the veteran Congress chief mentioned.

“The BJP’s and PM’s model of politics typically lacks the spirit of democracy. I gave so many situations concerning his model of campaigning in any respect ranges of elections, however they’re misusing my comment for electoral positive aspects,” Mr. Kharge mentioned.

“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 criticized (the BJP authorities) on the problems of improvement, inflation, unemployment, poverty,” he mentioned.

Talking at a rally in Ahmedabad earlier this week, Mr. Kharge had mentioned PM Modi asks folks to vote “taking a look at his face” in all elections. “Are you 100-headed like Ravan?” he had mentioned.

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, Mr. Kharge mentioned it displays badly on the BJP authorities’s efficiency within the state.

“Did any PM (prior to now) marketing campaign like this? Once I was a scholar, 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 mentioned.

Requested in regards to the AAP’s aggressive marketing campaign and the occasion contesting 181 of 182 seats in Gujarat this time, Mr. Kharge mentioned 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 will likely be used as propaganda in opposition to Congress. Some folks have been despatched to contest in opposition to Congress to divide the votes. So that’s their predominant function. In any other case, what number of cubicles, what number of villages, and what number of panchayats they’ve gone to? They’ve gone to solely the cities,” he mentioned.

Questioning the place the Arvind Kejriwal-led occasion was getting funds for placing out full-page commercials in all Gujarati and English newspapers, Mr. Kharge mentioned 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, Mr. Kharge mentioned he had acquired suggestions from occasion leaders which exhibits that AAP was engaged on “any person’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, exhibits that they’re engaged on any person’s directions,” he mentioned.

The Congress, which has been out of energy in Gujarat for 27 years, carried out a “silent” marketing campaign this time, Mr. Kharge mentioned.

“The persons are responding. In tribal, rural, and backward areas, Congress has received an edge. Even the higher caste persons are fed up with this authorities as a consequence of inflation, unemployment, corruption, the financial progress which is falling day by day,” he mentioned.

“Silently, persons are working in opposition to the BJP, they’ve made up their minds (to oust it). So, our voters are invisible, however our persons are working. Our voters are invisible for numerous 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 mentioned.

Speaking in regards to the Congress’s subdued, door-to-door marketing campaign, Mr. Kharge recalled Indira Gandhi’s comeback victory from the Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in 1978 when the voters weren’t vocal about their selection however favoured the previous Prime Minister.

“Why I’m saying invisible voters? if any person says one thing within the open, an FIR shall be lodged in opposition to her or him. Our work is occurring silently,” he mentioned.

Requested what would the Congress do to cease its MLAs from defecting to the BJP— which occurred after the 2017 elections— he mentioned the BJP “purchased over” these MLAs “by utilizing central companies and blackmail.” “That’s the reason we’re saying, to save lots of democracy, defeat the BJP,” the Congress president mentioned.

Below the BJP’s rule, the general public debt of Gujarat has elevated enormously, Mr. Kharge claimed.

“Once we went out of energy within the Nineties, the debt was ₹10,000 crore, now it’s nearing ₹4,60,000 crore,” he mentioned.