The Congress chief also used the occasion to belittle the BJP‘s performance in the polls and reiterated the claim that had the opposition INDIA bloc secured 20 more seats in the Lok Sabha, things would have been different.On this occasion, the Congress chief, however added that if those 20 additional seats had come their way, “they (BJP) would be in jail.”
“They deserve to be in jail,” Congress party chief said in a election rally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag.
Despite a clarion call for 400, Kharge said BJP could manage only 243 while the opposition managed to secure 234. “Today there is a minority government. Earlier they (BJP) used to say ‘400 paar’, where is your 400 paar? You are on 240 (seats). If we had only 20 more seats, all these people would have been in jail”.
Hitting out at the government for its reliance on coalition partners to keep it afloat, the Congress chief said the saffron party is standing only on a single leg. “One leg has been given by Chandrababu Naidu of TDP, while Nitish Kumar of JD(U) has given a hand. They are walking on the strength of that,” he said.
He said, “BJP is trying to divide Hindus and Muslims by breaking people here. But their efforts will never succeed in life. Thousands of such BJP and RSS workers will come and go. The people here are not going to bow down. Congress party is with the people here. We are all one and will always remain united.”
BJP reacts – ‘Emergency mindset’
The remark drew immediate ire from the BJP which said that the comments are a reminder of Congress’ dictatorial mentality and added that they were the ones who declared Emergency in the mid-70s.
“This is an example of Congress’ ‘Emergency’ mindset. He wants to put leaders in opposition in jail, Indira Gandhi put people in jail and Congress wants to continue that legacy. They do not say anything when the Trinamool Congress behaves dictatorially in Bengal and yet calls other parties dictatorial,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X.
The spokesperson also said that Kharge earlier said that if Congress wins in Kashmir it would exert control over the entire India. “Jammu & Kashmir ka chunao agar hum jeetenge, toh saara Hindustan hamare kabze mein hoga (If we win Jammu and Kashmir elections, then entire India will be under our control),” Kharge said in an earlier visit to the state.