Maharashtra polls: Kharge attacks BJP over ‘batenge to tenge’ remarks. mumbai news

Mumbai: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, accusing both the central and state governments of pursuing divisive politics.

Speaking at the release of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi’s manifesto in Mumbai, Kharge criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “Batenge to Katenge” (If you divide, you will be cut) remarks. “You have already divided society by adopting the Manusmriti,” he said.

“While Adityanath says ‘batenge to tenge’, Prime Minister Modi says ‘ek hai to safe hai’ (unity ensures safety). So whose slogan will prevail? We don’t know. What we know is that the country has always been united. That’s how we got freedom, but you people killed the person who gave us freedom,” Kharge remarked.

He emphasized the election’s significance for Maharashtra’s future, stating, “The outcome will also send a message to defectors across India if anybody can form governments by changing and splitting parties.”

Kharge criticized Modi and Fadnavis for questioning whether a red-coloured Constitution copy shown by Rahul Gandhi at a Nagpur meeting was linked to urban Naxals. In response, he displayed a photograph of Modi presenting a similar copy to Ramnath Kovind on July 26, 2017, questioning if that too had Naxal connections.

Later, speaking at a ‘Save Constitution, Save Democracy’ conclave at YB Chavan Centre, Kharge warned of imposing dangers if the country fails to maintain unity. He drew a contrast between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the current administration, noting, “Vajpayee, who was also a BJP leader, never destroyed constitutional institutions and democracy in the country. Instead, as Prime Minister of India, he helped restore Afghanistan. democracy. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuously destroys the constitutional framework. There is danger to democracy and constitution from RSS, Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.”