PM Modi worried after 3rd phase of Lok Sabha polls: AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge

Hyderabad, May 10 (PTI) AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were worried after three phases of Lok Sabha polls and were hence talking about non-election issues and abusing the Congress.

Addressing a press conference here, Kharge said the BJP leaders, instead of seeking votes on “development,” are distorting their (Congress) leaders’ speeches and call Rahul Gandhi ‘shehzada.’

“After three phases of polls, Modi and Shah Saab got worried. They stopped talking about their manifesto, but only are abusing the Congress,” Kharge said.

Referring to the PM’s comments that Congress has stopped talking about ‘Adani-Ambani’ after the announcement of polls, he said, “(If) money is going in tempo, you are just watching? Money is going from whose house, where is your CBI, where is your Income Tax.”

“If you know, are you sleeping? Adani-Ambani, where money is going, seize their house. Use ED, IT. Speaking in such a childish manner, it does not suit a PM,” he said.

He further alleged that PM Modi was fond of words starting with ‘M’- Mangalsutra, Mutton and Mughals.

The PM stated the Congress would take away the property of people and give a portion of it to Muslims, he said, adding that speaking in a manner to instigate people was bad. He further alleged that Modi was creating an atmosphere of riots and dividing the society in the name of caste census.

He reiterated his ‘jhooton ka sardar’ jibe against Modi. Asked about the comments of Sam Pitroda and Mani Shakar Aiyar, Kharge said Pitroda has quit his party post and that it has been accepted.

On Mani Shankar Aiyar’s reported comments that Pakistan is a respected nation and that India should engage in a dialogue with the neighbouring country, he said India is 100 times stronger than Pakistan.

It was Indira Gandhi who liberated Bangladesh, he said, adding that the first nuclear test at Pokhran was also conducted during her leadership. Asked if the Congress was thinking of moving a no-trust motion in Haryana, he said independent MLAs withdrew support to the (BJP) government and the party had left it to the MLAs to decide the course of action.

“The manner in which our party people want… whether (they) want to form government if there is a majority, if the people there, MLAs want Governor’s rule. We left it to them. We are not telling them do this, do that,” he said.

On the allegations of a Rs 800 crore scam against his son-in-law, the AICC chief said, “ok…put in jail, hang.” Kharge said the Congress government in Telangana had fulfilled five of the six guarantees so far and the remaining one was pending due to the prevailing Model Code of Conduct as the elections were on.