New Delhi; Chandigarh: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's removal from power, alleging that several BJP governments, including the Union government, were formed through a "stolen" mandate. He said removing Modi was essential to protecting democracy.
Addressing the INDIA bloc's rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi against alleged electoral irregularities, Kharge accused Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of attempting to protect Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
"Modi and Shah have attempted to snatch the vote of Dalits, youth and women. Modi ji wants to take away their votes through his man -- Ganesh Kumar. We will keep fighting until he goes, and ensure his exit," Kharge said.
Alleging that Modi and Shah were shielding the CEC, Kharge said that even "if the CEC hides underground, we will find him".
He also accused the BJP of forming governments through alleged electoral malpractice in several states.
"Be it the central government, governments in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, they are 'chori' governments (formed on stolen mandate). We have to throw out these 'vote chor'," he said.
"Modi jayega to hi loktantra bachega, Modi ko hatayenge tabhi loktantra ko bachenyenge, Modi ko hatao loktantra ko bachao (Remove Modi to save democracy)," Kharge said.
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Senior INDIA bloc leaders, including former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, attended the rally.
Earlier, opposition leaders travelled in an open vehicle from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan, accompanied by hundreds of supporters marching alongside.
The INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' protest is part of its campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities. On Saturday, bloc leaders had also carried out a symbolic "public impeachment" of the CEC, accusing him of deleting votes to influence election outcomes and demanding that he be tried in court for treason and jailed.
Shah attacks Rahul Gandhi over rally timing
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Rahul Gandhi over the timing of the INDIA bloc rally, saying the event on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots would "rub salt in the wounds of the victims".
Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 258 crore, Shah said thousands of Sikhs were killed in the riots.
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"Rahul Gandhi's November 1 'jalsa' in Delhi will only rub salt in wounds of anti-Sikh riot victims," he said.
Shah questioned the decision to hold the rally on the anniversary of the violence, saying: "The day the Sikh genocide happened, on that very day, they had to hold a rally."
He also criticised Rahul Gandhi's political messaging, saying hatred was the only takeaway from his "mohabbat ki dukaan" slogan when a rally was being held on such a dark day.
"If you want to become PM, stay in mock parliament your entire life. Your turn won't come," Shah said.
"Telling lies, spreading anarchy, not letting Parliament function, this is your 'fitrat' (true nature)," he added.
Recalling the violence of 1 November 1984, Shah said thousands of Sikhs were killed, many were forced to leave their homes, children were orphaned, women were widowed and houses were burnt.
He also referred to a statement made by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi following the riots.
"And the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave a statement and I saw that on TV and I cannot forget that for rest of my life. He had said when a big tree falls, the earth shakes," Shah said.
He added that only Congress leaders could make such a remark after the killing of thousands of Sikhs.
Shah said the government led by Modi reopened cases related to the 1984 riots after coming to power in 2014. He claimed that compensation of Rs 5 lakh was provided to the next of kin of each person killed and prominent Congress leaders were jailed.
"India has never witnessed, nor will it ever witness, riots of this kind, incited by a political party," Shah said.
