BJP seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul over Congress chief's 'confession' on poll guarantees

BJP seeks apology from Kharge-Rahul over Congress's poll guarantees' 'confession'
01 Nov 2024

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded an apology from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

This comes after Kharge, the national president of the Congress, admitted that the party's poll guarantees were putting financial constraints in states where it is in power.

He had advised state units to promise only those guarantees that are "fiscally possible."

BJP's Prasad interprets Kharge's statement as admission
Admission acknowledged

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad took Kharge's statement as an admission against making reckless announcements.

He asked if Kharge had shared this advice with Rahul, who often speaks of immediate money transfers to people.

"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?" Prasad asked at a press conference.

Prasad accuses Congress of making false promises
False promises

"They should apologize to the country. While I commend Kharge 'sahab' for this realization at his age, this should have dawned on him earlier. Let Rahul Gandhi be the first recipient of your confession," Prasad added.

He accused the Congress of making "false promises" repeatedly and recalled the "garibi hatao" (remove poverty) slogan given by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, Rahul's grandmother, for the Lok Sabha polls in 1971; she led the Congress to a landslide win.

BJP's approach to poll guarantees
Fiscal prudence

Contrasting this with the BJP's approach, Prasad said his party makes promises based on fiscal prudence and fulfills them.

He gave examples of providing free grains to 80 crore people and welfare measures for women in different states.

"The BJP makes only those promises that are guided by fiscal prudence," Prasad said.