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BHUBANESWAR — Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday expressed apprehension that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be the last opportunity for the people to save democracy, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi might prefer dictatorship in case his party wins the upcoming polls.
He also urged people to keep away from the BJP and its ideologue RSS, alleging that they are "like poison".
"This will be the last opportunity for the people to save democracy in India. If Narendra Modi wins another election, there will be dictatorship in the country. The BJP will rule India like Putin in Russia," Kharge said while addressing a party rally.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and RSS, Kharge said that the present government under Modi is being run by threatening states and leaders of the opposition.
"Notices are being served to the leaders and ED & Income Tax has become weapons to grind the political opponents," he claimed adding that the people should be aware of the BJP and RSS ideologies.
He alleged that the leaders are threatened to leave their parties and alliances if they oppose the ideologies of BJP and RSS.
Kharge claimed that Rahul Gandhi was frequently threatened as he opposed the BJP and the RSS.
"However, Rahul Gandhi did not come under their pressure and continues to fight against such forces that are out to divide the nation," the Congress president said.
On the JD of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returning to the NDA leaving the Congress camp on Sunday, Kharge claimed it will not have any impact on the polls.
"One person quitting Mahagathbandhan will not weaken us. We will defeat the BJP," he said.
The Congress president also described Modi as a “habitual liar” whom he accused of misleading the people by assuring 2 crore jobs every year and INR 15 lakh money in every Indian’s bank account.
Referring to Modi’s jibe at Congress’s achievements during the last 70 years, Kharge said: “You (Modi) become the chief minister of Gujarat and now the PM because the Congress had held the democracy and Constitution high. But you are now destroying the basics of democracy and the Constitution.”
He said the Congress has given rights to women, Dalits, tribals and the downtrodden by properly implementing the Constitution.
Claiming that Odisha's ruling BJD and opposition BJP have solemnised "love marriage", Kharge alleged that the two parties are looting Odisha and oppressing the poor people of the state.
He claimed that while BJP and BJD are only with rich people, the Congress always stands by those who are poor.
Kharge said that people lost their hard-earned money in the chit-fund scam and the mining loot is a regular phenomenon in the state. As both the parties are hand in glove with each other, culprits are not caught, he claimed.
Asking the people what the Modi-Naveen Patnaik combine has given to Odisha, Kharge claimed that Congress gave Paradip Port, Rourkela Steel Plant, Chilka Naval Academy, Mancheshwar Rail Coach Factory, HAL, Ordnance Factory, AIIMS and several educational institutions to the state.
“But today Patnaik ji, along with BJP, is allowing the natural wealth here to be looted,” he alleged.
Stating that Odisha is considered to be the sacred area of Lord Jagannath.
The Congress president said that India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru held the last Congress session of his life in this land of Lord Jagannath in 1964.
"Pandit Nehru ji and Biju Patnaik ji were very good friends. He (Biju) believed in the ideology of Nehruji. But today's Patnaik (Naveen) believes in the ideology of BJP," Kharge said.
Biju Patnaik was Naveen Patnaik's father and a former chief minister of Odisha.
Without naming anyone, Kharge also targeted Patnaik’s close aide and former IAS officer V K Pandian, who recently quit civil service and joined the ruling BJD.
"Are there no leaders and officers from Odisha to advise the chief minister that someone has to be brought from another state to run the government," he asked.
Pandian hails from Tamil Nadu.
"There are 2.36 lakh vacancies in the state government. Odisha has 29 per cent ST and 16 per cent SC. Still, these people did not get any major job in the Patnaik government," Kharge said.
He urged these people to unite and fight for their rights.
While 30 lakh posts are vacant in government institutions across the country, Modi is not filling them as SC-CT, OBC people would also get jobs, Kharge alleged.