Addressing a gathering at a public meeting in Barpeta, Assam, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on April 27 stated the foundational role of his party, particularly hailing the legacies of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in revolutionizing India's agricultural and industrial landscapes.
Kharge challenged the BJP's rhetoric into the narrative of India's agricultural self-sufficiency. He said, "These people (BJP) advertise that PM Modi is the only one who was born to help the poor. In a country where rice and wheat weren't enough produced and we had to import from America, today we are producing the amount of wheat, rice, and pulses that are sufficient for the people of the country to have their meals. This is all because of Congress, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi who brought the Green Revolution and White Revolution to the country."
The Congress leader invoked the transformative legacies of Nehru and Gandhi, attributing to them the monumental shifts in India's agricultural and industrial sectors. "In a country where not even a needle used to be manufactured, if someone dared to launch rockets, it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi," Kharge said.
Earlier today, Kharge's open letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi regarding the Congress manifesto stirred controversy, adding fuel to the already intense political landscape surrounding the upcoming elections.
In a press conference held in Guwahati as part of his campaign trail in Assam, Kharge defended his decision to engage directly with Modi, stating, "I have spoken to PM Modi and not Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma because I am a leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and I was also in Lok Sabha so I have little bit competency in parliamentary affairs. So who is my opponent in parliament?.. Rajya Sabha...It's Modi..so I will speak to Modi why he (Himanta Biswa Sarma) is bothered about it...Let him face our people here. Then speak about me."
This exchange was prompted by a query from India Today NE regarding Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's offer for Kharge to join the BJP, which followed Kharge's statement urging Modi to peruse the Congress manifesto before engaging in discussions.
Earlier , Sarma issued a direct invitation, asserting his willingness to welcome Kharge into the BJP fold.
"Why should there be any meeting between Kharge and the BJP at this time?" Sarma queried, suggesting that the manifesto should suffice. "If Kharge wants to join the BJP, then he should and he can come," Sarma said.