New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday skipped the 77th Independence Day perform on the Crimson Fort in Delhi from the place Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. A chair reserved for Kharge was seen empty in the course of the Independence Day perform on the historic monument. He, nevertheless, unfurled the nationwide flag at his residence and later on the Congress headquarters the place the Independence Day perform was additionally attended by Rahul Gandhi and different Congress leaders.
Talking about his absence, Kharge advised reporters that he had an ‘eye-related downside’ and that because of the tight safety preparations in and round Crimson Fort, he would not have made it on time to boost the nationwide flag on the Congress AICC headquarters if he attended the principle occasion.
“Firstly, I’ve some eye-related issues. Secondly, I needed to hoist the tricolour at my residence at 9.20 am, as per protocols. Then I needed to come to the Congress workplace and hoist the tricolour there as effectively. So, I couldn’t have arrived right here on time (if he had attended the principle occasion),” he stated.
“Such have been the safety preparations across the Crimson Fort that I would not have been capable of go away the principle even earlier than PM Modi,” he added.
Democracy in ‘nice’ hazard right this moment
Earlier within the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pledged to uphold democracy and the Structure which he alleged have been in ‘nice’ hazard. In a video message on Independence Day, he saluted the sacrifices of innumerable Indians who gave up their lives in the course of the freedom wrestle and stated they not solely made a contribution to the nationwide motion but additionally laid a robust basis of India.
He additionally lauded the contribution of former prime ministers, together with Atal Bihari Vajpayee who, he stated, at all times labored for the nation and took many steps for progress and improvement.
“It pains me to say that right this moment, democracy, Structure, and autonomous establishments – all three are in nice hazard,” Kharge lamented.
Noting that democracy and the Structure are the souls of the nation, the Congress president stated, “We take a pledge that we’ll uphold the liberty of democracy and Structure for the unity and integrity of the nation, for love and brotherhood, for concord and fraternity”.
“With this dedication, as soon as once more I prolong my warmest needs to all of you on Independence Day. ‘Bharat Judega, INDIA Jeetega’,” he stated, referring to the tagline of the opposition alliance.
“New techniques are being adopted to suppress the voice of the opposition. Raids by CBI, ED, and Earnings Tax are occurring, Election Fee is being weakened. Efforts are being made to suppress the voice of opposition MPs in Parliament by suspending them. Somebody’s mic goes off or somebody’s phrases are getting expunged. Privilege motions are being introduced,” he added.
Within the coming instances, folks might not imagine that there was a time when folks from the ruling get together used to dam proceedings of Parliament, he famous, focusing on the present dispensation.
“Nice folks do not erase outdated historical past to write down new historical past. They draw their line large, they do not make the already drawn line smaller by slicing or erasing it,” Kharge stated.
He alleged that the federal government is claiming credit score for schemes of earlier governments simply by altering their names.
“Democracy is being torn to shreds by distorting the outdated constitutional programs which were operating for many years, giving new dimensions to dictatorship. And now, they’re attempting to create historical past by renaming outdated legal guidelines, which offered stability and peace to the nation,” he stated.
आप सभी को स्वतंत्रता दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ व बधाई।
लोकतंत्र और संविधान हमारी देश की आत्मा है।
हम यह प्रण लेते हैं कि हम देश की एकता और अखंडता के लिये, प्रेम और भाईचारे के लिए, सौहार्द और सद्भाव के लिए लोकतंत्र और संविधान की स्वतंत्रता क़ायम रखेंगे।
जय हिन्द pic.twitter.com/d5EurpcRNM
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 15, 2023
Taking a dig at PM Modi, he stated, “First, they talked about ‘acche din’, then, they talked about ‘New India’, And now they speak about ‘Amrit Kaal’. Is not this a reputation change to cover his failures?”
Referring to Manipur, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, the place there have been incidents of violence within the current previous, he stated be it any nook of the nation – “wherever there’s injustice, the Congress get together will set up justice.”
For the rights of the youth, for the welfare of the farmers, for the respect of ladies, for the justice of the underprivileged, for the earnings of small merchants, he stated, “The Congress is standing. INDIA will rise.”
