Politics

Sonia, Rahul have sent good wishes for opposition rally: Mallikarjun Kharge

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Kolkata | Representing the Congress at a mega-gathering of opposition parties here on Saturday, Mallikarjun Kharge said party chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had sent their good wishes for the rally.

At the rally, Kharge, the leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, read out a message from Sonia Gandhi, highlighting the “crisis” looming over the country with farmers and fishermen living under immense strain.

Under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, the economic and political institutions of India were being undermined, he said, adding that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be for the restoration of democracy in the country.

Kharge, who participated at the rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee as the emissary of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, said, “Till we (opposition parties) unite, we will have to continue seeing Modi and Shah trample democracy and the secular values of the country.” Congress’s national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi was also present at the rally.

Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi time and again referred to his “na khaunga na khane dunga” (neither will I eat nor allow anyone to eat) slogan, Kharge wondered what the PM was actually doing. “He himself is not eating, but he is allowing Adani, Ambani and his corporate friends to benefit,” he said.

Going by Modi’s promise of creating two crore jobs every year, 9.5 crore jobs should have been created by now, the Congress leader said, adding that instead, the government had rendered 1.6 crore people jobless.

Referring to demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), he alleged that the two measures had triggered an economic crisis in the country.

At the end of his speech, Kharge said in Hindi, “Manzil door hain, rasta kathin hain, phir bhi pahuchna hain. Dil mile na mile, kamse kam haath mila kar chalo (The destination is far and the road is difficult but still, we have to reach there. Whether our hearts meet or not, we should walk holding hands).”

After Kharge’s speech, Banerjee thanked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for their good wishes for the rally and for sending the two senior party leaders to the function.

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Politics

Minorities feel safe under PM Modi, says Shahnawaz Hussain

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Panaji | Senior BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday claimed minorities felt safe under the Narendra Modi-led Union government as it never distinguished between people on the basis of caste or religion.

Addressing a press conference here, the BJP national spokesperson also hit out at the Congress for creating a “fear psychosis” among minorities.

“Minority communities were falsely told by the opposition parties that they will be finished if Modi comes to power. Congress thinks they will be able to win votes of minorities by creating a fear psychosis. But the Congress has gone absolutely wrong as minorities will now vote for Modi for the development of the country,” he said. “The minorities feel safest under Modi-led government.

The number of riots have decreased under the Modi government. Schemes are launched for the poor without asking them their religion or caste. People have benefited immensely under PM Modi,” Hussain claimed.

Speaking about fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya and diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the BJP leader said they had to flee the country as the Modi government had adopted stringent measures against loan defaulters. He added such loan defaulters were living “fear free” during the previous Congress rule.

He claimed from Independence till 2008, the total loan amount disbursed by financial institutions was Rs 18 lakh crore, which rose to 52 lakh crore between 2008-14 (under the Congress-led UPA rule). “The Congress should explain why it gave out such massive loans. It was giving loans to businessmen who had gone bankrupt,” he alleged.

Hussain said “thieves” were afraid because the country’s “chowkidar” (a term PM Modi often uses to describe himself) was awake. He added the government would bring back fugitive businessmen to the country to face the law.

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