Congress Chief Kharge Skips Independence Day Event At Red Fort, Says Govt Muzzling Oppn Voice
Independence Day 2023: The chair marked for Mallikarjun Kharge with his name written on it at the Red Fort remained vacant.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday skipped the Centre's Independence Day event at Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. The chair marked for Mallikarjun Kharge with his name written on it at the Red Fort remained vacant.
Speaking on his absence at the event, Kharge told ANI that he had several events lined up and the "tight" security situation at Red Fort would have delayed his schedule.
"Firstly, I have some eye-related problems. Secondly, I had to hoist the tricolour at my residence at 9.20 am as per protocols. Then I had to come to the Congress office and hoist the tricolour here too. So, I could not have reached here. The security is so tight that they don't let anyone else leave before the PM leaves...I thought that I will not be able to reach here on time...I thought it better to not go there to security situation and lack of time," ANI quoted Kharge as saying.
In a video address, Kharge, without naming PM Modi, said some people think India had developed only in the past few years. "But that thought is wrong," Kharge said.
"Democracy and Constitution are the soul of our country. We take this oath that we will uphold the freedom of democracy and Constitution for the unity and integrity of the country, for love and brotherhood, for harmony," the Congress chief said.
Kharge later hoisted the national flag at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leaders.
Speaking at the event, Kharge alleged that the government was trying to muzzle the voice of the opposition. "Opposition MPs in Parliament being suspended...sansad mein jab mein khud hi baat karne ke liye uthta hun toh mera mike bandh ho jata hai (my mic is being switched off whenever I stand up to speak in Parliament)," he said.
In a blistering attack on the Opposition, PM Modi called for getting rid of the three sins of "corruption, nepotism and appeasement". "Today, 'parivarvaad' and appeasement has destroyed our country. How can a political party have only one family in charge? For them their life mantra is- party of the family, by the family and for the family," PM Modi said in a dig at Congress.
"It is Modi's life-long commitment to keep fighting against corruption...My government weeded out 10 crore fake beneficiaries of welfare schemes, seizure of ill-gotten assets rose by 20 times," he further said.
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