BJP govt raising emotive issues to hide failures; Cong workers must unite to win LS polls: Kharge

New Delhi: The BJP is raising emotive issues to hide its failures of 10 years in power at the Centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday and asked party leaders and workers to unite to win the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress president also lauded Rahul Gandhi for undertaking the Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra and expressed confidence that his Bharat Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Maharashtra will bring issues of social justice to the centre of the national discussion.

"The BJP is pushing emotive issues to cover up the failures of its government in the last 10 years. They deliberately involve Congress in every issue," Kharge said at the meeting of party leaders from across the country.

"We have to unite and give a befitting reply to the lies, deceit and wrongdoings of the BJP on grassroots issues in front of the people," Kharge said as he asked the leaders to sink their differences, not raise internal issues in the media and work as a team.

He said he respected Sonia Gandhi's services as the Congress president for 25 years and how she worked in every state to ensure that the Congress-led UPA defeated the NDA in 2004 and remained in power for 10 years.

"Back then, our workers in every village and city stood up. Today, we will have to work with the same dedication and hard work to take the party forward," he said.

Noting that all the attacks of the BJP were on the Congress and the INDIA bloc, he said, "The NDA remains only in name while the INDIA bloc has major grassroots parties that have a strong cadre, base and ideology." Accusing the Modi government of continuously trying to ignore the contribution of Congress towards creating a modern India, he said, "We have to give them a concrete answer".

He asked the cadre to forever remember the contributions made by the Congress in the foundation of parliamentary democracy and modern India.

"Because those who forget history, cannot create history," he said.

By working night and day, we will be able to provide an alternative government to the people after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said.

"Leave aside differences, do not indulge in nitpicking and do not raise internal issues in the media and work as a team to ensure Congress' victory," he told the gathering.

Senior Congress leaders from across the country discussed the party's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and seat sharing with other parties besides preparations for the Bharat Nyay Yatra beginning January 14.

Kharge convened the meeting of party general secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders at the party headquarters here. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi was also present.

This is the first meeting of the newly appointed party office bearers after Kharge carried out a reshuffle in December.