Congress President Mallikarjun Khadge charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with trying to fragment the nation on lines of religion, caste, and creed, labeling him as the 'real sultan of the fragmenting gang' on Tuesday. He criticized Modi for preparing an action blueprint for the next five years, which he argues, is a sign of dangerous overconfidence and arrogance that is detrimental to the country and democracy.
When asked about the Presidential candidate for the INDIA block, Khadge said that winning the elections is the priority. The determination will only be made post the declaration of the Lok Sabha election results. In an interview with PTI, Khadge remarked, 'The real sultan of the fragmenting gang is Modi. He is dividing the nation on the basis of caste, religion, and sect. We firmly believe that every region is an integral part of India, whether it's Kashmir or the Northeast. We have fought for this. What has the BJP done?'
Questioning if anyone from RSS or BJP sacrificed for the country, he said, 'We (Congress) have sacrificed our lives for independence. He (Modi) comes and claims to have done everything. He behaves as if he's the sole sultan of India. What's your contribution to uniting the country? The Nehru family went to jail. Show me one person from the BJP or RSS who sacrificed anything for the country's freedom.'
Addressing an NDA rally in Mysuru, PM Modi had called Congress the 'sultan of the fragmenting gang' on Sunday, accusing the opposition of harboring intentions to divide, dismantle, and weaken the country.
Responding to Modi's claims of NDA winning over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, Khadge said, 'Fortunately, this time he didn't claim to cross 600 seats. Such arrogant propaganda, undermining the opposition, and showing that everything revolves around me is unfortunate. Even leaders confident of seizing power would not make such claims.'
Reminding of a similar scenario in 2004 when BJP portrayed that India was shining and Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the most suitable Prime Minister, the AICC chief said, 'What happened then? A Congress-led government emerged under the leadership of Manmohan Singh. (Singh) proved to be an exceptional Prime Minister. We witnessed a surge in the economy. Many policies and programs were initiated, and he was an excellent administrator.'
He cautioned against weakening Indian democracy, stating, 'The Indian voter is very intelligent. He (Modi) is trying to suppress everyone. Given equal opportunity, you'll see a repeat of the 2004 results.'
Stating that consensus is reached through discussion and deliberation in any coalition, Khadge said the Indian alliance would discuss who is best suited to lead following the results.
Discussing his plans, Khadge mentioned he won't contest in the Lok Sabha elections, 'My seat in Kalburgi (Gulbarga) has already been claimed.' His son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani, is contesting from the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat, which Khadge had successfully contested in 2009 and 2014 but lost in 2019 to BJP's Umesh Jadhav.
Regarding Congress candidates in the Nehru-Gandhi bastions of Amethi and Raebareli, he said the elections there would be later and there's still time. 'We'll inform at the right time. It's not good to reveal my cards. In politics, some surprises are necessary. We will discuss, deliberate, and gather feedback. There's a democratic process in the Congress party, and we will decide at the appropriate time. This isn't like the BPP where Modi makes the final decision for everything.'
