Mumbai (Maharashtra): Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed the Party’s commitment to safeguard the Constitution on the occasion of ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ on August 20, 2024. While addressing a public gathering in Mumbai on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Saving the Constitution is still our top priority.”

During this, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said in his address that under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, Congress had won the highest number of 415 seats in the parliamentary history of the country. Despite getting such a huge majority, Shri Rajiv Gandhi never got arrogant. He always worked for the service of the country. Shri Rajiv Gandhi reduced the voting age of the youth from 21 years to 18 years. Reservation was given to women in Panchayati Raj. The new computer policy was his idea, due to which lakhs of youth got jobs. He brought 11 big projects, which benefited everyone. The economy became very strong during Rajiv Gandhi’s era. The highest GDP growth rate till date was 10.2 percent during his time. In 1985, Rajiv ji started the Universal Vaccination Program. The lives of millions of children were saved by vaccines of BCG, TB, OPV, Polio, DPT. Rajiv Gandhi never got his photo pasted on the vaccine certificate. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi got his photo pasted on the vaccine even during the Corona epidemic.

The Congress President said, Rajiv Gandhi had made the anti-defection law. But Narendra Modi and BJP broke the governments of opposition parties. MLAs and MPs were broken. Despite this, INDIA Alliance gave them a befitting reply.

Kharge ji said that our people work hard to save democracy in India, make different policies. Shri Rajiv Gandhi made everything - from public sector to other things. But Narendra Modi is selling everything. He is gradually selling everything. Even after getting more than 400 seats, Shri Rajiv Gandhi did his work peacefully. Whereas Narendra Modi is so proud that he was talking about crossing 400, but the people of Maharashtra gave a shock to Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is not standing on his own strength now. He is standing on the strength of TDP and JDU. If they are removed, Modi ji will not be able to move forward.

While appealing to the people to give a massive majority to Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, Kharge ji said that Maharashtra will be run by the people of Maharashtra, not by Narendra Modi sitting in Delhi. It is indispensable to teach a lesson to the BJP and bring the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

“BJP is like a poison. There is no need to taste it because we know the results. It needs to be removed completely,” Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said, slamming the ruling party. He insisted that a MVA government in Maharashtra is necessary if they want to prevent BJP from making an amendment in the Constitution. “We need a government in the state which also elects members from Rajya Sabha. If the people want BJP to stop making such a move, then they need to support us in the assembly elections,” he remarked.

He then gave examples of the amendment bill for waqf land and lateral entries on contract basis. “They withdrew the lateral entry decision because you are strong. If not, they would have recruited people from RSS background,” he claimed, adding, “The state assembly elections are equally important like the Lok Sabha elections.”

Shri Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s controversial advertisement for lateral entry into government posts which was subsequently withdrawn. The advertisement, aimed at recruiting individuals from the private sector into high-ranking government roles, was met with opposition from various quarters. The central government withdrew the advertisement, a move Kharge Ji attributed to the strong reaction from Congress and public and political pressure.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Shri Uddhav Thackeray, who also attended the event, indicated Congress is a better ally than BJP. He said that successive Congress governments never acted vindictively against them despite his father and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray being the Grand Old Party’s harshest critic, whereas BJP is trying to finish them off even after being an ally for so many years. It was the first time that Thackeray attended a Congress event. He also wore a stole of the Party when offered. NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar, too, attended the programme held at Shanmukhananda Auditorium on Tuesday. Congress had invited the Presidents of both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), as both these parties are its allies in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. Thackeray, on the other hand, said that it took them some time to realise the difference between Congress and BJP. “After understanding a person, we need to change ourselves. I have realised that they misused us and have now started weakening us. The difference between Rajiv ji (former PM Rajiv Gandhi) and them is clear,” Thackeray said.

He further pointed out that the Congress government never acted vindictively against the Shiv Sena though they have been part of the opposition. “Balasaheb (Thacekray) used to criticise Rajiv ji in the harshest words, but I have never seen ED (enforcement directorate), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and Income Tax coming after any Shiv Sena worker,” he stressed.