Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of Congress and the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lying in the Lok Sabha. He said, “The PM either thinks about the past or imagines things, but he never talks about what’s happening now.” Kharge claimed that during the NDA’s 11 years in power, the Constitution and democracy have not improved.
Kharge responded to Modi’s attacks on Jawaharlal Nehru during a debate about the Indian Constitution. He defended the Constitutional amendments made shortly after India gained independence and criticized the BJP as well as its parent organizations, the Jan Sangh and the RSS, for opposing important symbols like the Tricolor flag and the Constitution.
Speaking after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who studied at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kharge said, “The RSS, Jan Sangh, and BJP have wanted to create laws based on outdated texts. Those who opposed the flag and the Constitution are now pretending to teach us about them. No amount of vaccines can erase their past mistakes. Before giving us advice, they need to fix their own government.”
He urged, “Are you here to twist facts or discuss the Constitution? JNU students are progressive and contribute greatly to nation-building. But some people are making undemocratic statements. The public will push the BJP to be better after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
Kharge also pointed out that the RSS was against the Constitution and claimed that the BJP’s founding leaders did not fight for India’s independence. He challenged the PM and Rajnath Singh, saying, “You have never truly talked about what you did for the country or how many times you were arrested for independence. If you didn’t fight for India’s freedom, how can you appreciate it?”
In response to the PM saying the Congress’ main slogan is “garibi hatao” (remove poverty), Kharge called the PM the biggest fraud. He highlighted Modi’s unfulfilled promises of giving ₹15 lakh to poor families, creating 2 crore jobs, and doubling farmers’ income, claiming that the PM is trying to distract people from real issues.
Kharge emphasized that in the 11 years of Modi’s rule, he has not strengthened the Constitution. He praised past initiatives like food security and mandatory education, which helped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kharge also defended some Constitutional amendments, including one that empowers marginalized people. He reminded everyone that Jan Sangh leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was part of the cabinet that approved these amendments.
Kharge accused the PM of disrespecting Nehru and delegitimizing Mukherjee’s contributions. He pointed out that the provisional Parliament, which made the first amendment, included Mukherjee, and that Ambedkar and Patel also supported these changes. He said, “In criticizing Nehru, you insulted everyone who stood with him. Ambedkar defended these amendments for two hours. The BJP is simply against reservation and that’s why they don’t support counting people by their caste.”
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