Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 14: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appealed to citizens to strengthen Rahul Gandhi’s campaign to safeguard democracy and protect every voter’s constitutional right, asserting that the party’s struggle is rooted in truth and justice.
Speaking at the Congress’s “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, Kharge said it was the collective duty of party workers and supporters to stand with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Congress ideology to “save the nation.” He accused the BJP of undermining the Constitution and marginalising the poor under the banner of Hindutva.
Kharge claimed that divisive politics promoted by the BJP and the RSS was poisoning society, while the Congress remained committed to unity and constitutional values. He said the ruling party was trying to cling to power through alleged electoral malpractice, warning that silence would cost citizens their dignity and rights.
Targeting BJP leaders, Kharge said they lacked the courage to match Rahul Gandhi’s grassroots outreach, including his long padyatras among the poor. He highlighted the Congress’s performance in recent Kerala local body elections as proof that people were responding to the party’s message.
He also dismissed criticism of Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently travels abroad even when Parliament is in session without addressing questions raised by the opposition. Kharge urged party workers not to be intimidated by investigative agencies, which he claimed were being misused against the opposition.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi addressed the rally, thanking party workers for their unwavering faith and reiterating that the Congress would ultimately defeat the BJP by adhering to the principles of truth and non-violence inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. He described the political battle as a clash between two ideologies — one driven by power and falsehood, and the other grounded in truth.
Holding up a copy of the Constitution, Gandhi termed alleged “vote theft” an attack on Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision, arguing that it stripped citizens of their right to choose and remove governments. He linked the government’s failures — including unemployment, economic distress among small traders, flawed GST implementation, demonetisation and pollution — to what he described as manipulated electoral outcomes.
“The BJP knows that without vote theft, people would remove them from power,” Gandhi said, adding that the Congress would continue its fight to protect democracy and restore public trust in the electoral system.