New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, “Repeating a lie a thousand times will not make it the truth. The voters are intelligent enough to read and understand by themselves what the Congress has written in its manifesto and what Guarantees we have promised.”
Kharge is referring to the wide publicity Modi gave to Congress’s guarantees, but by misrepresenting them completely, starting with his speech in Rajasthan’s Banswara, which went to the polls on April 26.
Kharge writes that he senses a “lot of desperation and worry in you [Modi] which is leading you to use language that does not suit the office of the Prime Minister”.
Starting on the guarantees, while saying they are “so simple and clear, that we don’t have to explain it to them”, he has proceeded to elaborate on Yuva Nyay, Nari Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Shrmaik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay.
Kharge: China “appeasement” by Modi
On China, Kharge terms what Modi has done as “appeasement.” He writes that “The only appeasement policy that we have seen in the last 10 years is the appeasement of Chinese by you and your ministers. Even today, you refuse to call China as ‘Ghuspaithiye’, instead on June 19, 2020, you said “Na Koi Ghusa Hai, Na Hi Koi Ghus Aaya hai”, insulting the supreme sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan. Your public ‘Clean Chit’ to China, has weakened India’s case and made it more belligerent.” Kharge writes further, “Even as tensions escalate due to repeated Chinese transgressions and construction of military infrastructure near LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand, the imports of Chinese goods to India has increased by 54.76% in the past 5 years alone and has crossed $101 billion in 2023-24.”
Congress votebank: “Every Indian”
Kharge has firmly refuted factually incorrect statements by Modi attributing a claim that reservation will be taken away from SC, ST and OBC and given to “our votebank”. Kharge writes that “our votebank is every Indian – the poor, the marginalised, the women, the aspirational youth, the labour class, the Dalits and the Adivasis”.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
Asking Modi to clarify why the Sangh and the BJP are “opposed to reservation to SC, ST and OBCs on the basis of their population as per Article 16 of our Constitution”, Kharge says that “everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP who opposed reservations at every stage since 1947. Everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP which wants to change the Constitution to end reservation. Your leaders have openly spoken about it. You need to clarify why you are opposed to reservation to SC, ST and OBCs on the basis of their population as per Article 16 of our Constitution. In your letter, you have said people’s hard-earned money will be snatched and given away.”
Invoking the opaque and now unconstitutional electoral bonds, of which the BJP has been the prime beneficiary, Kharge writes, “I would like to take this opportunity to request you to direct your party to return the Rs 10 crores that were swindled from the poor Dalit farmers in Gujarat and given as electoral bonds to BJP. Your party amassed Rs 8,250 crores through the “illegal and unconstitutional” Electoral Bonds from various companies using Chanda Do-Dhanda Lo, Theka Lo-Ghoos Do, Hafta Vasooli and Farzi company routes and schemes. Out of the 8,250 crores, you can return at least Rs 10 crores to this dalit family.
Terms Inheritance Tax proposal Modi’s “lies”
Kharge says the PM “lies that Congress wants to bring Inheritance Tax when it is your former Finance Minister and your party leaders who have repeatedly mentioned they want Inheritance Tax. People can see these speeches and comments of your leaders online. I see from your letter that you are worried by the low turnout of voters in the first two phases of the elections. It shows people are not enthusiastic about your policies or your campaign speeches. This is not because of the summer heat, but because the poor have been burnt by your policies.”
Kharge chides Modi for his appeal “to your karyakartas to mobilise voters in the name of religion. If the voters are not keen to vote for you, do not blame your karyakartas. You are not interested in talking about the ever-widening inequality. You are not interested in talking about unemployment and unprecedented price rise, that is affecting our people. You are not interested in talking about the increasing atrocities on women by your leaders.”
Kharge asserts that Congress’s manifesto “speaks of Nyay and how we will bring growth for all sections of the society. It is better as the Prime Minister if you seek votes on the performance of your government over the last ten years instead of indulging in hate speeches.” He, on behalf of the Congress Party issued a “challenge” to “you or anyone you depute to debate with us on our manifesto and the points you have made. As I mentioned in my earlier letter, when the elections are over, people will only remember you as the Prime Minister who indulged in divisive and communal speeches filled with lies to avoid an inevitable defeat.”
Modi wrote to candidates after the second phase of voting that ended on April 26, urging candidates standing in the third phase, to go out and “sensitise voters against Congress.”
Read the full text of Kharge’s letter below.
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Dear Pradhan Mantri Ji,
I saw the letter written by you to all the NDA candidates about what they need to communicate to the voters. From the tone and content of the letter it seems that there is a lot of desperation and worry in you which is leading you to use language that does not suit the office of the Prime Minister. The letter makes it look like the lies in your speeches are not having the effect you intended and now you want your candidates to amplify your lies.
Repeating a lie a thousand times will not make it the truth. The voters are intelligent enough to read and understand by themselves what the Congress has written in its manifesto and what Guarantees we have promised.
Our guarantees are so simple and clear, that we don’t have to explain it to them. For your benefit, I will reiterate them here. 1. Yuva Nyay – We assure jobs to the youth of this country who are suffering from the worst unemployment due to your policies. Congress assures the youth – Pehli Naukri Pakki. 2. Nari Nyay – to empower the women and girls of our country who are seeing unprecedented harassment from your leaders and their mindset. 3. Kisan Nyay – to empower the farmers who were shot and beaten for asking for their rightful price. 4. Shramik Nyay – to empower the labour and workers who are suffering from increasing inflation and increasing income disparity due to the policies of your suit-boot ki sarkar. 5. Hissedari Nyay – to empower the poor who should get their right and nothing less. Our guarantee is Nyay to all.
We have heard you and the Home Minister say that Congress is practising appeasement politics. The only appeasement policy that we have seen in the last 10 years is the appeasement of Chinese by you and your ministers. Even today, you refuse to call China as ‘Ghuspaithiye’, instead on June 19, 2020, you said “Na Koi Ghusa Hai, Na Hi Koi Ghus Aaya hai”, insulting the supreme sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan. Your public ‘Clean Chit’ to China, has weakened India’s case and made it more belligerent. Even as tensions escalate due to repeated Chinese transgressions and construction of military infrastructure near LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand, the imports of Chinese goods to India has increased by 54.76% in the past 5 years alone and has crossed $101 billion in 2023-24.
In your letter you claim that reservation will be taken away from SC, ST and OBC and given to “our votebank”. Our votebank is every Indian – the poor, the marginalised, the women, the aspirational youth, the labour class, the Dalits and the Adivasis. Everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP who opposed reservations at every stage since 1947. Everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP which wants to change the Constitution to end reservation. Your leaders have openly spoken about it. You need to clarify why you are opposed to reservation to SC, ST and OBCs on the basis of their population as per Article 16 of our Constitution.
In your letter, you have said people’s hard-earned money will be snatched and given away. I would like to take this opportunity to request you to direct your party to return the Rs 10 crores that were swindled from the poor Dalit farmers in Gujarat and given as electoral bonds to BJP. Your party amassed Rs 8,250 crores through the “illegal and unconstitutional” Electoral Bonds from various companies using Chanda Do-Dhanda Lo, Theka Lo-Ghoos Do, Hafta Vasooli and Farzi company routes and schemes. Out of the 8,250 crores, you can return at least Rs 10 crores to this dalit family.
Your letter lies that Congress wants to bring Inheritance Tax when it is your former Finance Minister and your party leaders who have repeatedly mentioned they want Inheritance Tax. People can see these speeches and comments of your leaders online. I see from your letter that you are worried by the low turnout of voters in the first two phases of the elections. It shows people are not enthusiastic about your policies or your campaign speeches. This is not because of the summer heat, but because the poor have been burnt by your policies. You have appealed to your karyakartas to mobilise voters in the name of religion. If the voters are not keen to vote for you, do not blame your karyakartas. You are not interested in talking about the ever widening inequality. You are not interested in talking about unemployment and unprecedented price rise, that is affecting our people. You are not interested in talking about the increasing atrocities on women by your leaders.
Our manifesto speaks of Nyay and how we will bring growth for all sections of the society. It is better as the Prime Minister if you seek votes on the performance of your government over the last ten years instead of indulging in hate speeches. The Congress Party would like to challenge you or anyone you depute to debate with us on our manifesto and the points you have made. As I mentioned in my earlier letter, when the elections are over, people will only remember you as the Prime Minister who indulged in divisive and communal speeches filled with lies to avoid an inevitable defeat.
