New Delhi: Barely a month into his tenure as president of the Indian Nationwide Congress (INC), the in any other case low-profile Mallikarjun Kharge is taking the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) head-on. The octogenarian can be slowly constructing his model as a pacesetter from a deprived background who rose by the ranks to carry the reins of a nationwide occasion — an id Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assiduously cultivated for himself since 2013.
On 28 November, talking at a marketing campaign rally in Gujarat’s Dediapada, Kharge — referring to Modi’s angst in opposition to the Congress for ‘focusing on him personally’ — thundered: “I’m additionally poor…poorer than poor, untouchable. At the very least anyone drank your tea. No one drinks my tea even. And then you definately say ooh I’m poor, they requested me what my stature (haisiyat) is. If you happen to attempt to garner sympathy like this, it won’t work. Persons are not fools.”
Kharge was alluding to Modi’s oft-repeated reminiscing about his boyhood days as a tea vendor.
On Monday, Kharge took one other swipe at Modi, questioning why the Prime Minister is the BJP’s face in each election, be it parliamentary, meeting or municipal. What number of faces does he (Modi) have, Kharge asked, including, “Is he like Ravan?”
For a lot of Tuesday, the Congress and BJP traded barbs over Kharge’s remarks and criticism of him for focusing on Modi.
BJP’s Amit Malviya wrote on Twitter: “Unable to take the warmth of Gujarat election, pushed to the perimeter, Congress nationwide president Mallikarjun Kharge loses management over his phrases, calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Ravan”. From “Maut ka Saudagar” to “Ravan”, Congress continues to insult Gujarat and it’s son…”
Congress spokespersons Supriya Shrinate and Pawan Khera retorted by accusing the BJP of being “anti-Dalit” for utilizing the phrase “fringe” for Kharge, a veteran chief from a deprived background.
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Recurring theme in Kharge’s speeches
All through his political profession of 56 years, Kharge has not often, if ever, brandished his caste. However on the helm of the Congress — whose leaders have been on the receiving finish of barbs for his or her “privileged” upbringing these final eight years — Kharge’s humble roots are an asset he and his occasion are clearly not coy about invoking when the necessity arises.
One other recurrent theme in Kharge’s speeches is his rise from humble beginnings to the forefront of the Congress, in his residence state of Karnataka and later as chief of the opposition, first within the Lok Sabha after which within the Rajya Sabha. He had stepped down as LoP within the Higher Home when he put his hat within the ring to grow to be Congress president, by the occasion’s “one-man, one-post” credo.
Shedding gentle on his electoral document, Kharge, whereas talking at one other public assembly in Gujarat’s Bapunagar on 27 November, had instructed the gang: “I’ve been in politics for 56 years and 51 of these years, I’ve been MLA, MP, Rajya Sabha member from the Congress occasion. You by no means gave me a time off. You saved electing me. I received 11 of 12 elections.
“One election, when the prime minister, residence minister and all ministers attacked my fort and performed their recreation to defeat me. It’s okay. This occurs in democracy.”
Kharge had additionally referenced his political ascent in his first rally in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh’s Banuti on 9 November. Apologising for his ‘southern origin’ Hindi, he mentioned he spoke the Hindustani of Pandit Nehru and never the colloquial Hindi.
“I’m standing right here as a result of Sonia, Rahul, different senior leaders and 9,000 delegates elected me. You simply heard in regards to the period of the election and many others… How was Nadda elected? No one is aware of. It’s not an election there however a nomination they usually query us about democracy. I used to be LoP in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” Kharge mentioned.
Elections to Himachal Pradesh’s 68-member Legislative Meeting have been held in a single section on 12 November with counting votes slated for 8 December.
Questioning Nadda’s election as BJP chief on his residence turf, it appears, was only the start. Assaults on PM Modi — not all the time issue-based, just like the Ravan barb — are a typical theme all through Kharge’s speeches.
In Bapunagar, he had requested the gang whether or not Modi was planning to return as chief minister of Gujarat, given the frequency of his journeys to the poll-bound state the place the BJP has held on to energy since 1997.
In Dediapada, he referred to as Modi “jhoothon ka sardar (chief of liars)” earlier than relating points like unemployment. “There are 5 lakh vacancies… Now that elections are right here, Modi sahab is distributing certificates. Arrey! That’s the work of a clerk, it’s the departmental clerk who provides appointment letters. You (Modi) are doing his job,” Kharge mentioned, mincing no phrases.
In Mehsana, responding to Modi’s barb about him being the goal of “two-kilo abuse” every day, Kharge mentioned: “We within the Congress are getting 4 quintals of abuse day by day. However we’re not scared. This nation was not frightened of the British and it’ll not be frightened of you.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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