Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, criticizing him for using divisive rhetoric and urging him to focus on his government’s performance over the past decade instead. Kharge’s letter came a day after Modi sent personalized messages to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates running in the May 7 Lok Sabha elections.
Kharge expressed his concerns regarding Modi’s approach to campaigning and the language used in his letter to NDA candidates. He felt the tone was not fitting for the office of the Prime Minister and suggested a sense of desperation in Modi’s communication strategy.
Kharge addressed Modi’s claim about reservations being taken away from certain groups and given to “our vote-bank,” stating that the Congress party’s vote-bank includes all Indians, particularly the poor, marginalized, women, aspirational youth, labourers, Dalits, and Adivasis. He pointed out that the RSS and BJP have historically opposed reservations.
Kharge also took issue with Modi’s tactics, noting that repeating a lie doesn’t make it true and emphasizing the importance of intelligent voters who can understand the Congress manifesto and its promises.
Finally, Kharge challenged Modi or his representatives to debate their respective manifestos and positions.
