'We don't have money to spend': Mallikarjun Kharge weeks before the LS polls

Kalaburagi: Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday indicated that the party is facing funds crunch alleging that bank accounts where money donated by people had been kept had been freezed by the BJP-led NDA government, while huge fines have been imposed on the party by Income-Tax department.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP, Kharge also called upon the people to stand strong together and ensure his party's victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, to "save" the Constitution and democracy in the country.

Noting that everyone should have equal opportunity in election, Kharge accused BJP of freezing Congress' bank accounts and imposing huge fines on the party through Income tax, while "they are not ready to disclose thousands of crores of rupees they have got through electoral bonds, despite Supreme Court's directions." "It was our party money that you the people gave as donations, they have frozen it and we don't have money to spend.....while, they (BJP) are not disclosing about electoral bonds they got because their theft will come out, their wrong deeds will come out, so they asked for time till July," he said.

Accusing Modi of naming a cricket stadium in Gujarat after himself, Kharge, hitting out at the PM, said, "You are still alive, such namings are done after someone (passes away). When a person is alive, memorials are not erected in his name, it is to be done by followers of that person later." He also claimed that people of Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), from where he unsuccessfully contested in 2019 elections, have decided to "rectify their mistake" and make Congress victorious in the coming polls.

Karge was defeated by BJP's Umesh Jadhav in Gulbarga by a margin of 95,452 votes in the previous elections. Popularly known as "Solillada Saradara", (a leader without defeat), that was the first electoral loss in his political life spanning several decades.

Speculations are rife that Kharge, who has the role of managing the party nationally and coordinating with the INDIA bloc, may not contest in the Lok Sabha polls and, instead, the party is likely to field his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani, a businessman who also manages educational institutions "Don't get cheated, they (BJP) are cheaters, they speak lies. They hide the truth and spread wrong information among people. Ambedkar has said people have to stay united and protect the Constitution and democracy. If there is no Constitution, freedom and unity in this country, this country will be enslaved once again and cannot stand up again," he said.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said, BJP now-a-days is speaking against the Constitution, and called on the people to fight against it and question it.

"It is a matter of your right....they (BJP) are making an effort (to change the Constitution) BJP claims they have nothing to do with those who speak against the Constitution, but does not take action against such people, it is because they (BJP and RSS) are behind people making such statements", he said, as he urged the people to stand strong together and ensure Congress victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Hitting out at BJP MP Anantkukmar Hegde for his comments regarding amending the Constitution, Kharge further said, the Constitution has "not come just like that and there is sacrifice of large number of people behind it" Stating that Modi is coming to Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) and Bidar in the coming days (for Lok Sabha election campaigning), and Gulbarga in a way has become a "centre" for him as he often comes here, he hit out at the BJP and the PM for not doing anything for the development of the region.

"I asked him (PM) recently when I met him as to why he was repeatedly visiting Gulbarga, where there is severe summer heat and people are in distress for drinking water....He (Modi) said there is big airstrip, so he repeatedly comes to Gulbarga when he has to go Latur, Hyderabad side and other nearby places. He is coming on March 18 (March 16), but he (Modi) must also give something for Gulbarga, what has he or BJP done?" he said.