BJP seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul over Cong chief’s ‘admission’ on poll guarantees

The BJP on Friday demanded ‘apology’ from the Congress, after Mallikarjun Kharge, the grand old party’s national president, said Congress state units should prepare only those ‘guarantees’ that are ‘fiscally doable.‘

The guarantees have played a significant role in the party’s poll wins in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. However, Congress’ opponents say these are actually freebies that have caused financial constraints in these states.

“Kharge has realised such reckless announcements should not be made. Did he give this ‘gyan’ (advice) to Rahul Gandhi, as the ex-Congress president often boasts of ‘khata khat’ (immediate) transfer of money to people,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference.

“They both should apologise to the country. While I greet Kharge sahab for this realisation at his age, this should have dawned on him earlier. Let Rahul Gandhi be the first recipient of your confession,” the former Union minister added.

Further, Prasad accused the party of making ‘false promises’ repeatedly, and recalled the ‘garibi hatao’ (remove poverty) slogan of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Rahul’s grandmother, for the 1971 Lok Sabha polls; she led the Congress to a landslide win.

Meanwhile, Prasad highlighted the contrasting approaches of the BJP and Congress on guarantees.

“The BJP makes only those promises that are guided by fiscal prudence. Whether it is giving free grains to 80 crore people or welfare measures for women in different states, the BJP has been fulfilling them (guarantees),” Prasad stated.

Recently, Karnataka deputy chief minister said the state government would ‘revisit’ the Shakti scheme for free bus travel for women as some women wanted to pay for their bus travel. Kharge made the ‘guarantees’ remark while ‘pulling up’ Shivakumar for his statement.