It is RSS and party first and not nation for BJP: Mallikarjun Kharge

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in divisive politics over caste and religion without aiding any development, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday appealed to people not to vote for the BJP in any of the forthcoming elections as that would “lead to slavery”.

Addressing a large gathering at the distribution of 42,345 houses of KSDB under the PMAY in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Kharge alleged that in the last 10 years, the BJP had given nothing to the people and had not even fulfilled its promises.

‘Only slogan’

“Nation first is a slogan used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP only during elections. During the rest of the days, it is RSS first and BJP first for the saffron party, and the nation and the Constitution come later. But for the Congress it is always nation first,” he said.

“Mr. Modi had talked of bringing back black money, providing 2 crore jobs, and even today he only talks and keeps on abusing Jawaharlal Nehru and other Congress leaders, who actually implemented a series of development works,” he said.

Mr. Kharge recalled how “people’s housing scheme”, a scheme for the poor took birth during the tenure of D. Devaraj Urs and Minister Basavalingappa and how pro-people Congress government had continued working for the welfare of the poor. He suggested tO Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan to add more cities and villages under the housing project.

He lambasted the Union government for troubling non-BJP ruled States through Governors and by not providing requisite grants. “Another act frequently done by the BJP is changing good programmes and policies. Now they have recently brought VB G-RAM-G Act instead of MGNREGA,” he said. “We will fight against it and will not stop until it is withdrawn like the three farm laws,” he said.

Not bankrupt

Listing out the welfare measures, guarantee schemes and allocations to various departments, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lambasted the BJP leaders for projecting the government as bankrupt. “If the government was really bankrupt, then how come all these development works are getting completed?” he sought to know.