Remove bad mangoes before the entire box is rotten: Kharge on ‘compromised’, ‘non-performing’ Congress leaders

‘Blaming voters won’t work’

Kharge, who read out numbers but did not name leaders, said, “Out of 41 (city and district presidents present here), nine units are lagging, including Gandhinagar and Anand… If we look at the rankings (of the performance of the Presidents), nine are in First Class, 11 in second position and 19 need improvement… The trainers should take care of this. Those who don’t want to work and blame it on voters, it would not do… Such leaders should be removed immediately… one rotten mango spoils the whole box… those who are eventually going to go to the other side, should be sent now…”

Senior party leaders said that Kharge was referring to an internal party report, which has been compiled based on the data for the last three months of programmes organised by various party units in matters directed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) or Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Stressing on discipline becoming a part of the working of the party, Kharge said that it was “in the hands of the Congress” to “save India’s freedom, democracy and Constitution”.

Kharge said, “It should not be the case that on the first day (of the camp), we have 100% attendance; on the second day, it drops to 90% and down to 80% on the third day… And then (the members) come back for a lecture at the end where there will be 100% attendance again. This is not going to work. Be devoted. When you take up a task and believe in an ideology, you have to give it your all…”

Kharge also launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that they were “out to finish” the freedom and unification of India accomplished by Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel from Gujarat. Kharge said, “Gujarat is a model state for us… Mahatma Gandhi fought for independence until he was killed by three bullets in his chest by (someone) from the other ideology…Another was Sardar Patel, who unified Junagadh to Hyderabad, even though they wanted to join Pakistan… Now, Gujarat has given two more people — they are working against the independence, freedom and the Constitution that was given by Mahatma Gandhi. One of them is someone who wants all Ministries — finance, cooperative, law and order and, if possible, even the control of the Army…”

‘Fight ideology, not person’

Kharge further said, “We have to fight the ideology, not the person… What do we have against a person? It is a matter of pride if the son of a chaiwala is the Prime Minister. I am also the son of a labourer…We have to save the ideology of Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Nehru that these people are trying to break. For this, we have to be educated and also educate others about what is going on…”

Kharge said that the right to franchise was implemented in India by the Congress, much ahead of Australia, the US and other countries, adding that the right to vote “must be saved” for the future.

Further criticising the BJP for their attacks on Rahul Gandhi, Kharge said, “Today, British agents are against the Congress… those people who opposed Gandhi and (Jawaharlal) Nehru and the Independence of India. They are against the Congress. If the Congress ideology suffers, the country will suffer… When Rahulji questioned the intrusion of China in India, they (BJP) alleged that Rahulji was working for China and getting kickbacks… now they (BJP) are going to China and hugging them…”

Kharge said, “The Congress brought about reforms to better the lives of people after Independence… BJP and Modiji do not want the good of the people. They are finishing the country’s treasury and the public sector for two friends… We have to fight for India. No one else can fight for India. They (BJP) were slaves of the British when the Congress was fighting for Independence. They used to run after the British for jobs… what did they do, when our people were embracing (death by) hanging for Independence… We need to tell people this. He (PM Modi) says I have ’56 (inch) ki chaati’. What do we do with it? He can go to a tailor and get one more suit stitched…”

Referring to the “vote-theft” issue, Kharge said that even in Gujarat, the BJP had been stealing elections as was revealed by the state Congress leaders.