Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge slams PM's remarks on Ram temple, calls for EC action

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on May 17, lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that "SP, Congress will run bulldozer over Ram Temple if voted to power." Kharge accused the PM of "provoking" people and called for the Election Commission to take action against such "instigating speeches."

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai alongside NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Kharge said, "We have not used bulldozers to date... The Election Commission should take action against those who make instigating speeches. The Prime Minister himself is doing it. He is provoking people. After our government comes, everything will be protected as per our Constitution, we will follow the Constitution."

Kharge also criticised the PM for supporting the "illegal" Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, alleging that it was formed on the basis of "betrayal and conspiracy." He further accused the authorities of unfairly taking away the party symbols from the "real parties" in Maharashtra, referring to Shiv Sena and NCP, and giving them to parties "supporting" the BJP.

Confident of the INDIA bloc's prospects in the state, Kharge claimed, "INDIA bloc will win 46 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. People are saying this themselves. Our alliance will win maximum seats and defeat BJP..."

On the alliance between the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress in Delhi for the May 20 Lok Sabha elections, Kharge clarified, "We have an alliance only on 3 seats in Delhi, there is an alliance in Chandigarh, we have given them seats in Gujarat and Haryana, we will work there only." However, he added, "But we are fighting against each other in Punjab. This is a democracy, it is not autocracy. We will do whatever has to be done to defeat BJP."

Regarding Mamata Banerjee's support for the INDIA bloc, Kharge said, "Mamata ji, first she said that they will support from outside. Recently she has said that if the INDIA government is formed then she will join the government, so, naturally, she is with the alliance."

Six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai - Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central - along with several other constituencies like Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane, are set to go to polls in Phase 5 on May 20. Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, holds significant weightage in the ongoing general elections.