New Delhi: From alleged Chinese encroachment along India’s borders, to theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched an all-out attack on the BJP-led central government at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held Wednesday.
Kharge alleged that “serious facts” had recently come to light regarding China’s encroachment into Indian territory. The Modi government, he said, should have addressed this matter candidly.
“Instead, true to form, it has dismissed these reports as incorrect while hiding behind anonymous sources. It is our firm view that there should be no politics over national security. However, national security must not be overlooked at any level either,” he said.
Kharge asserted that the citizens have a right to know the reality regarding our national borders. He pointed out that following the 2020 Galwan clash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that no foreign military had encroached on Indian soil.
Kharge said that, while the Army is performing its duty admirably, the government was not providing clear information on serious questions concerning the border with China.
He also referred to the theft of donations at the Ram temple. He pointed out that Modi had announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Parliament to oversee construction of the temple. “He must have appointed his own people to the trust after careful consideration,” Kharge then alleged, saying that the Prime Minister is now silent on the controversy.
“The nation wants to know the extent of the offerings received—how much gold, silver, and other valuables were collected? What is the account of these assets? Merely sending a few low-level individuals to jail will not resolve this matter…Therefore, Modi ji should apologise to the faithful public regarding this matter and provide answers,” Kharge asserted.
Additionally, Mallikarjun Kharge also highlighted the concerns of the youth in the country.
He blamed the “government’s flawed policies” for pushing young people into a quagmire of deep despair.
“Amidst the race for communal frenzy and the ‘revdi culture’ (culture of freebies), the education and employment of the youth have been most severely neglected,” he said.
Remembering former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the policies undertaken by his government for the youth, Kharge said that many of his colleagues in the Congress do not articulate these achievements forcefully, whenever the topic of youth comes up.
Kharge alleged that in the last 12 years, 94,000 schools had been closed across the country, higher education was becoming increasingly expensive and “educational institutions are increasingly being taken over by RSS-affiliated”. He also spoke of paper leaks, recruitment exam scams, delays in government appointments, and blamed the government for sidestepping genuine concerns, leading to students taking the streets.
Kharge then announced that it was time for the Congress to put forward a clear education-to-employment roadmap for the youth, while also highlighting Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron ki Goonj” (Voice of Students) initiative. “At the heart of all these issues is one simple question: Can people trust this government? Can our young people trust this government with their future? Can citizens trust it to be transparent about public money and donations? And can the country trust it to tell the truth about national security?” he asked.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)