Congress Chief Kharge Calls BJP 'Dwellers of Hell', Alleges Party’s ‘Hate-Driven Agenda’ Targeting Minorities

Congress President Kharge criticised the BJP, accusing Amit Shah of insulting B. R. Ambedkar. Kharge charged that the BJP government disregards constitutional values.

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling its leaders "dwellers of hell" and accusing the Union government of disregarding constitutional values. He particularly criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent remarks in the Rajya Sabha, which Kharge claimed were an insult to B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.  

Addressing Congress workers after unfurling the national flag at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office, Kharge said, "Congress made India an independent country and is striving for its unity. But the painful matter is that recently, our important leaders, especially Union Home Minister Amit Shah, insulted the Constitution. Amit Shah passed nasty comments on the architect of the Indian Constitution", news agency PTI reported.  

Recalling Shah’s statement in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said, "I was in Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha, he (Shah) said, 'You keep on chanting the name of Ambedkar. Had you chanted the name of God, you would have secured a place in heaven.'" He went on to call BJP leaders "dwellers of hell" who "were unable to get us independence and did not do any good work for the country, from an economic and social point of view."  

'BJP Undermining Constitutional Values': Kharge

Highlighting the importance of the 75th Republic Day, Kharge accused the BJP-led Union government of discarding constitutional principles. "The rights of citizens, especially the independence given to women, are being undermined," he said.  

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic claims, Kharge remarked, "I was listening to Modi's speech, in which he said he was striving to make India the third major economy in the world, but it did not move beyond the fifth position." He asserted that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had made India the fourth-largest economy, while the BJP government had "brought it down to the fifth position."  

Kharge further alleged that the Centre was favouring the rich while ignoring the poor. "While the government is giving maximum benefits and facilities to the rich and powerful people, it is ignoring the poor," he charged.  

Kharge To Attend 'Gandhi Bharat' Event in Indore

The Congress President announced that he would be travelling to Indore on Monday for the party's 'Gandhi Bharat' programme. "A large number of people will gather at the event to be held in Indore cantonment, where B. R. Ambedkar was born," he said. He urged Congress workers to carry forward the slogan of "Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan."  

In a statement issued by his office, Kharge criticised the ruling party for its alleged attacks on constitutional institutions. "The ruling party has unleashed a continuous degradation of our institutions, built carefully over decades. Political interference in autonomous institutions has become a norm. Exercising control over their independence is being seen as a virtue of power," he alleged.  

He accused the Centre of "trampling federalism" and curtailing the rights of Opposition-ruled states. "The functioning of Parliament has seen tremendous backsliding due to the tyrannical tendency of the ruling government," he said.  

Kharge also accused the BJP government of interfering in universities and media. "A large part of the media has been converted into a propaganda tool for the ruling party. Strangulating dissent by witch-hunting Opposition leaders has become the only policy of those in power," he charged.  

'Hate-Driven Agenda Targeting Minorities': Kharge  

The Congress chief further claimed that over the past decade, a "vicious, hateful agenda immersed in religious fundamentalism" had sought to divide Indian society. "Minorities are being targeted, and those who are secular are being tarnished by the paint of Goebbelsian propaganda," he said, adding that Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the poor, and minorities were being treated as "second-class citizens."  

Referring to the ongoing crisis in Manipur, he alleged that the state had been "burning for 21 months," but "there is no accountability at the topmost echelons of power."  

Kharge’s remarks come amid heightened political tensions ahead of the upcoming elections, with the Congress intensifying its attacks on the BJP government over governance and constitutional issues.