INDIA bloc will get clear majority, will give country inclusive govt: Mallikarjun Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will secure a clear majority in the Lok Sabha polls and give the country an inclusive and nationalistic government.
People have endorsed their view that "it will be the end of democracy if the current government gets another chance", Kharge said while addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here on the last of campaigning for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls.
According to the Congress chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about 'mandir-masjid' and divisive issues 421 times during the poll campaign despite the Election Commission's direction of no appeal for votes on caste and religion.
He also said Modi in his speeches in the last 15 days took the Congress' name 232 times and his own name 758 times. He didn't talk about unemployment even once, Kharge claimed.
The INDIA bloc will form government with a clear majority and will give the country an inclusive, nationalistic government, he said.
"We are confident that people will give a mandate for an alternative government on June 4," the Congress chief said.
Kharge also took a swipe at the prime minister over his comments in an interview that global awareness about Mahatma Gandhi came after Richard Attenborough's film, saying he may not have studied about Gandhi but the Mahatma is known the world over.
"Narendra Modi said he came to know about Mahatma Gandhi after watching the film 'Gandhi'. This is laughable, perhaps Narendra Modi has never read about Gandhiji. The whole world knows Mahatma Gandhi, his statues are there at different places in the world, including in the UN," Kharge said.
If Narendra Modi does not know about Mahatma Gandhi, he would not know much about the Constitution either, he added.
Kharge said that Modi must read Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography to know more about him after June 4 when he will have a "lot of free time".
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
