Cong chief Kharge calls people of Gujarat 'illiterate' in Kerala poll rally
Idukki (Kerala) (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday made an apparent controversial statement during his assembly poll campaign here, calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate" and claiming they were being "fooled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the same time, Kharge said neither Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could fool the people of Kerala, describing them as "very clever and educated".
"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," the Congress chief said.
He made the remark while alleging that both Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference between them except the parties they lead.
"LDF and BJP are going forward together and attacking the Congress. Modi in Delhi and Vijayan in Kerala have the same style of functioning. They want to keep power centralised in their own hands," Kharge said.
"In fact, I have heard people say that Pinarayi Vijayan is Kerala's Modi and that BJP and LDF have secretly plotted to keep Congress away from power," he claimed.
Kharge also alleged that Vijayan was being controlled by Modi. "He (Vijayan) is not an independent man now," he contended.
He further alleged that the BJP was the most communal party and that it, along with the RSS, would destroy the country.
"I condemn their attitude, I condemn their ideology," he said.
Kharge also called Modi a "liar" and urged people not to believe him, claiming the PM failed to deliver on his promise of providing two crore jobs every year after coming to power.
"Don’t listen to Modi. He is a liar. He promised two crore jobs every year when he came to power. He has been in power for 12 years. Has he provided the jobs?" he asked.
He also took a dig at Modi, referring to the PM’s frequent claim that he is the only one capable of running the country because of his "56-inch chest".
"What is the importance of your chest? Go and tell the tailor, he will properly stitch a jacket for you," Kharge added.
He alleged that the BJP and RSS were destroying the country, its future generations, and its unity.
"Its leader Modi will harm the people, he will destroy, and our people will suffer. People are already struggling due to a lack of LPG, inflation, and unemployment," he added.
Kerala will go to the polls on April 9 for 140 seats.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
