Bengaluru: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack on the BJP, the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, accusing them of weakening the country’s democratic and economic foundations.
Addressing the swearing-in and resolution meeting of newly appointed KPCC president B. K. Hariprasad at Palace Grounds, Kharge said there was no place for personality cults in the Congress and maintained that the party was larger than any individual leader.
Praising the Karnataka government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, Kharge said the administration had delivered people-centric governance and expressed confidence that the Congress would return to power if it continued working in the same manner.
The Congress chief alleged that inflation, rising prices and unemployment had increased under the Modi government. He criticised the Prime Minister for allegedly failing to fulfil the promise of creating two crore jobs annually and claimed that the current government had not generated sufficient employment opportunities.
Drawing a comparison with earlier Congress governments, Kharge said major public sector enterprises such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited were established during the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, contributing significantly to industrial growth and job creation.
Kharge also accused the RSS of attempting to expand its influence within the education system and administrative institutions. He warned that the country could face challenges if the Congress failed to regain power in future elections.
Questioning the transparency of funds collected for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Kharge demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged irregularities and called for greater public accountability.
On education policy, he advocated the adoption of a Karnataka-style Common Entrance Test (CET) model in place of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that such a system would better protect the interests of economically disadvantaged and meritorious students.
The remarks came during a major Congress gathering that marked Hariprasad’s formal assumption of office as the new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president.
