PM behaving like a puppet in the hands of RSS: Cong President Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): Charging the Prime Minister Narendra Modi with behaving like a puppet in the hands of the RSS, Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday accused the organisation and the BJP of conspiring to distort the Constitution. He also called upon Congressmen and party leaders to face the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with unity and protect the Constitution and democracy.
The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was speaking after unfurling the national tricolour at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here on the occasion of Republic Day.
"Probably if there was no Constitution for this country, it would not have been possible for us to save democracy. With lots of effort, leaders of our freedom struggle and the Constituent Assembly members gave this country the Constitution," Kharge said.
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Addressing Congress workers and leaders, he said the Constitution contains important principles like equality, fraternity, secularism and justice.
"The RSS and BJP are conspiring to distort this Constitution and to make changes to it. All efforts are being made by the BJP to destroy or weaken our autonomous bodies one by one. Especially as Modi is behaving like a puppet in the hands of RSS, our judiciary or our secularism is facing the brunt," he added.
State Congress President D K Shivakumar, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other senior party leaders were present.
The Congress party has fought for the freedom of the country, the AICC chief said, but the BJP is claiming to be the "only saviours" of this country. They speak about patriotism and are projecting to the youth that only they are true patriots, and rest all are traitors.
Recalling the struggle by the Congress and several of its stalwarts including Mahatma Gandhi in getting freedom for India, he said, "but today the BJP, the Prime Minister and Home Minister (Amit Shah) are making all efforts to make it the puppet in their hands. So it is important for us to save our freedom and Constitution for the good future of our younger generation."
"If there is no democracy and Constitution, there will be no opportunity for any of us," he added.
Stating that B R Ambedkar on January 26, 1949 had spoken about the importance of good people implementing the Constitution, Kharge said, "what he had said then is coming true today, the people who have to implement the Constitution now are not good, so we are witnessing all that is happening in the country now."
Claiming that there is a threat to the Constitution and democracy, the Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka said inflation and unemployment is rising by the day.
"To control this, in the upcoming elections, you will have to take loyal people into the party and strengthen it. It should not be that they join today and quit tomorrow....Think before inducting someone into the party, and checking their background and ideology is important," he said, adding that the Congress is bound by its ideology.
These comments from Kharge came a day after the former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar rejoined the BJP quitting the Congress. He had joined the Congress, quitting the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls last year on not getting a BJP ticket to contest the elections.
Appealing to Congressmen to stay united to protect the Constitution and democracy, he said: "In the upcoming elections too we have to show our unity. This is my suggestion and instruction to you. I'm confident that you will follow it."
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Adityanath govt has completely failed to maintain Taj Mahal, alleges Akhilesh
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday raised questions over maintenance of the Taj Mahal in Agra and attacked the Yogi Adityanath government saying it should be a "living and active" example, not just a "monument".
Yadav, who shared a viral video in which a plant could be seen sprouting from the dome of the Taj Mahal, said the monument might develop cracks due to the roots.
In a post on X, he said, "The BJP government and its dormant departments have completely failed to maintain the Taj Mahal, the wonder that attracts tourists from all over the world."
Yadav went on to say, "There is a possibility of rusting of the metal of the urn on the main dome. Water is dripping from the main dome. There is news of plants growing in the dome. If the roots of trees like these grow, then the Taj Mahal may crack."
He also highlighted problems of monkey menace and water logging in the Taj Mahal complex.
"The Taj Mahal complex has become a sanctuary for monkeys. There is a problem of waterlogging in the Taj Mahal complex. The tourists are worried whether they should admire the Taj Mahal or deal with the problems," Yadav said, adding due to all these reasons, the country's image is tarnished at the global level.
Last week, the main dome of the Taj witnessed water seepage due to incessant rains but officials said there was no damage to the arched roof.
Yadav asked where crores of rupees of funds that come for the maintenance of Taj Mahal are going.
"The government should be a living and active example, not just a monument," he added.
