Congress Enabled Modi To Become PM By Strengthening Democracy: Kharge At ABP Shikhar Sammelan

Kharge said that the BJP accuses the Congress of destroying the country but if the grand old party would have destroyed the country then he would not have been sitting on PM's chair.

ABP Shikhar Sammelan: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he talks emphatically about India being an old democracy while he and his party are not even doing what is necessary in the modern democracy. The Congress chief further stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party accuses the Congress of destroying the country, "but if our party would have destroyed the country then he would not have been sitting on Prime Minister's chair and he is sitting on the chair because our party kept the democracy and the constitution alive."

Speaking at ABP Shikhar Sammelan, Congress Chief Kharge said, "They talk about democracy. PM Modi emphatically says we are an old democracy. Leave old democracy; they are not even doing what is needed to be done in a modern democracy, and they say that Congress has destroyed the country. If we had destroyed the country, you would never have been able to sit on that chair. We made you sit on that chair by keeping democracy and the Constitution alive. The chairs you got and the way you abused us—all this is because of us. We fought for the freedom of the country."

Kharge also took a jibe at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party received thousands of crores of rupees as donations and their leader says that she does not have the money to fight Lok Sabha elections. He further stated that its not the candiate but the party which spends the money and they say they don't have the money.

"Forget about us, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not willing to fight elections. The political style of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on the one hand, took most of the donations from everyone. The ones who received donations of thousands of crores, their minister says that I don't have the money. It's not you but your party that fights elections, your party spends the money, and today you say that you don't have the money. Even after receiving so much of a donation, they do not have money for their candidate," the Congress Chief said.

Congress 'Being Harassed': Kharge On Income Tax Notices 

Kharge said that the BJP is harassing the Congress party by giving notices of accounts of 1993-1994. Speaking on the Income Tax notices received by the grand old party, he said that the party had sought time to repay Rs 14 lakh and is preparing to reply on it, but questioned why a big penalty has been imposed over the amount. 

"I want to say that we are being harassed. They have given us a notice on the accounts of 1993–94, when Sitaram Kesri was the party's treasurer. They have pulled out the account from that time and penalised us for it. Should I tell you the statistics?" Kharge said at the ABP Shikhar Sammelan. 

The Congress chief further stated, “We are preparing to reply to the notices. See, we sought time to give Rs 14 lakh. We got a bit late, but why have they imposed a big penalty of Rs 14 lakh? According to the Income Tax Act, if a crime is committed, the penalty cannot be beyond Rs 10, 000". 

Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the BJP and said that the saffron party has kept the law aside and is just targeting the Congress.

"You have kept the law aside, and today, you people are just targeting the Congress party and seizing all the accounts. Be it a student union, be it a youth congress, a women's organisation, or the main organisation, what is all this? Is this level playing ground?" he remarked.

On the question of the Congress playing the victim card, Kharge said, “See, you can achieve nothing by crying, you should fight. If someone defeats us through illegal means and tries to suppress us, If we do not try to get up, not only will they oppress all the citizens; but they will end all the fundamental rights, and you will also be finished. All of us have to fight together, irrespective of who is big and who is small".

Will Rahul Gandhi Contest Amethi Lok Sabha Seat?

On the question of whether former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, Kharge said that he is not aware of what is in Rahul Gandhi's heart, and if he wants to contest from Amethi, he will tell the party. 

“If he wants to fight Amethi, he will say, and I don't know what is in his heart. Many times, what happens is that in such matters, we have to make a thoughtful decision about where we want to contest polls. We have kept our options. In politics, decisions are taken thoughtfully," Kharge said.