Congress President and Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha) Shri Mallikarjun Kharge addresses ‘Hain Taiyaar Hum’ mega rally in Nagpur, Maharashtra on December 28, 2023. Translated from Hindi

Our Congress executive members, Congress leaders sitting on this stage and my brothers and sisters and my friends from the media. Now I do not want to say much, because Rahul Gandhi Ji has already put before you whatever needed to be said, and the reason I have come here, as the President of the Congress, is to hoist the Congress flag on the 139th Foundation Day.

Nagpur is such a sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar - all these people worked here for the country, worked for the society and fought for social justice. We have come to such a holy place and we believe that if people of any country can draw any inspiration, they can do so only from Nagpur. Nagpur is the land of revolutionaries. It was on this land that Babasaheb Ambedkar streamlined lakhs of people into his ideology and provided social justice to all. Even Mahatma Gandhi spent at least 2600 days in Wardha and here (in Nagpur). He worked hard for about 7 years and for which period, his work here is huge to bring independence to the country. People from every nook-and-corner of the country used to come here to seek his advice and the ideology regarding what is to be done to gain independence for the country was discussed here, but brothers, there are two of them here on one hand is the progressive ideology i.e. ideology on the path to progress - of Dr. Ambedkar and on the other hand, there is RSS bungalow behind us, because RSS also originated from here and today this same RSS is ruining the country. Modi is leading the RSS with its flag in his hand and the entire RSS is following him. Therefore, you should think, you have a huge responsibility. Unless you stand up, you cannot hoist this flag of ‘Equality’.

So, brothers, I would like to request everyone from here that in the last 10 years, BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak have troubled the country and if this Sangh government is not stopped, then the country will go towards destruction and democracy will end. The Constitution of the country, which was made jointly by Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, will also come to an end. In a country where there was no right to vote, the ‘right to vote’ became available to women, men and youth only with the coming of our Constitution into existence. The 18-year-old youth who are voting today is the contribution of Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Only the Congress Party alone can do such things. The rest of the people are just concerned about how to protect their wealth and multiply it 10 times.

People say this again and again, Modi ji and his people say this again and again that we have made our country progress, after our arrival the country is moving forward. Do tell me - did we get independence only in 2014? Have you got freedom only after Modi came? (The crowd said No). Have your schools opened only after Modi’s arrival - (the crowd said - no). Is the country running only after Modi’s arrival - (the crowd said - no). Are medical colleges running only after Modi’s arrival - (the public said - no). Modi got all this because of Congress, prior to his assuming of the power.

He has written to me, let me speak a little in Marathi. ...... (gave speech in Marathi)........ Democracy is in danger today, there is so much inflation today. ...... (gave speech in Marathi)........ All is well, all are happy, we have taken many people forward. What moved forward? You have a loan of Rs. 200 lakh crores and you are cutting off all the facilities one-by-one and the irrigation projects that were ours are also being cut. ...... (gave speech in Marathi)........ What kind of democracy is this? Is this ‘Prajatantra’ (Democracy) - No. ...... (gave speech in Marathi) ...... (said looking at Shri Rahul Gandhi) These media people are only the executioners. We have to catch those who are behind them. They are the poor labourers who are simply taking their salary. If they do not do the reporting properly then they are fired the very next day, so out of fear they write whatever the boss says. So, we have to catch the corporate companies operating from behind them.

So, that is why we have to say that here we have to look at the corporate companies, rich people who are supporting Modi to destroy Congress, who are giving funds to Modi for the same. So, I do not raise much question on this. We won in Telangana, our morale increased, we won in Karnataka, we won all this, but we have suffered a little setback in two-three states and there is no need to be disappointed due to that setback. Have courage, we will fight, we will not be afraid of anyone. There is no question of fear. We have driven away such Britishers, will we be afraid of Modi? (The crowd said No). Will you be afraid of BJP? (The crowd said No). Will you be afraid of RSS? (The crowd said No). Those people worked in the British government out of fear, they befriended them out of fear, they apologized out of fear. So, these people are cowards, fight against such people... You are brave people and as Rahul Gandhi ji just said that you are a lion, a fierce lion, but a lion never eats grass - (The crowd Said- No). So, you are a lion.

So, brothers, I do not want to put too many things in front of you, the things that happened in the Parliament and today they blame us, Modi blames that the Congress people and the opposition people are not coming to the Parliament. You are the one who throws us out of the Parliament, does not allow us to talk. We only asked that these two-four people came inside, how did they come, why did they come, who is behind them? Had it been a Congress MP instead of a BJP MP, they would have tarnished us and defamed us. But to save one MP, they threw out 146-147 people.

So that’s fine but we will fight and keep fighting. After that, all the black laws which are against our people, be it criminal law or anything else. They are doing this taking the name of Britishers. Brother, did you just have a dream? When Vajpayee was there, you ruled for 6 years, why didn’t you do this at that time and you have been in the government for 9 years, but you did not remember anything at that time. Now elections are approaching, something has to be done, you are doing it, but people will not accept it. ......(gave speech in Marathi)........Lie, lie openly as much as you want - this is Modi - and he always says, if he makes any promise, he mentions that promise again and again. He used to do this, then after a few days he would say that we said that only during elections.

That is why I am putting an issue before you. In the coming elections, if we, India Alliance or Congress Party gets power, if you give us power, then we will implement the NYAY scheme. After we get power, we will provide NYAY scheme for the poor and we will make arrangements to give at least Rs. 60-70 thousand equally to our women and will take it forward.

I am saying this because if we do not empower women and money does not go into their hands, then both men and women who generally pay their children’s fees properly, will not be able to do so. That is why we make a promise, that if you give us the power in the coming elections, we will implement this NYAY scheme. Which scheme (the crowd present said NYAY Scheme). NYAY Scheme, we do what we say. ...... (gave a speech in Marathi)........ We do whatever we say, you do not listen to them.

Therefore, without saying much, I end my speech by saying this and I thank Rahul ji for his long talk and what he told us and make an appeal - Friends, the 139-year-old Congress Party is has a glorious history. You people and your ancestors have been witnesses to many historical events. On this occasion, I appeal to Congressmen across the country to scan and send old literature in different languages, photographs, letters of important leaders and historical documents related to the Party to the Party’s Delhi headquarters. After verifying them, we will keep the selected documents in the archives of Congress. We will also write the names of those from whom the documents are received. This will go into the pages of ‘HISTORY’.

Whatever papers you have in writing about Congress, be it of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Abdul Kalam Azad, anyone. For example, we had three conferences here and one conference was also held in Faizpur under the leadership of Nehru ji. If anyone has any record of the situation during that session, what is written and read about that time, then you can share it with us. Send it to us so that we can keep it in the Congress office, in our new building which is being built, so that it could provide guidance to our present and the future generation. Having said this, I conclude my speech by wishing you all a very Happy New Year and best wishes and in the end, I would like to say that we will work together in unison and save the poor. Jai Hind. (The crowd present said Jai Hind). Jai Hind. (The crowd present repeated Jai Hind). Jai Hind. (The crowd present repeated again Jai Hind). Jai Congress. (The crowd present said Jai Congress). Jai Congress. (The crowd present repeated Jai Congress). Jai Congress. (The crowd present repeated once again Jai Congress).

Thank you all, Jai Hind!