Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unleashed a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during a speech in Sasaram, Bihar, accusing the BJP’s parent organization of opposing India’s independence from British rule. Speaking at the launch of the ‘Voters’ Adhikar Yatra’ alongside Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad, and other opposition leaders, Kharge challenged Modi’s recent Independence Day praise of the RSS as a selfless NGO instrumental in the freedom struggle.

“Modi’s claim that the RSS deserves credit for Independence is an insult to our freedom fighters,” Kharge declared, asserting that the RSS was “opposed to Independence” and loyal to British imperialists, avoiding arrests while Congress leaders like Mahatma Gandhi faced imprisonment. He labeled Modi “a dangerous man” who threatens democratic rights, urging voters to oust him to protect their franchise.

Kharge accused the Modi government of manipulating elections through “vote theft,” depriving youth of jobs and farmers of fair prices, and rewriting educational syllabi to serve its agenda. He further alleged that central institutions, including governors and the Election Commission, have become tools of the BJP, harassing opposition parties. “The Election Commission is their agent,” he claimed, pointing to the deletion of 65 lakh names—mostly Dalits, OBCs, women, minorities, and migrant laborers—from Bihar’s electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

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Highlighting the RSS’s historical opposition to universal adult suffrage, particularly women’s voting rights, Kharge credited Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar for ensuring inclusive voting laws. He invoked Sasaram’s legacy as the constituency of Dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram and his daughter Meira Kumar, the first woman Lok Sabha Speaker, urging Bihar’s voters to safeguard their democratic rights against alleged BJP encroachments.

The ‘Voters’ Adhikar Yatra’ aims to rally opposition against perceived electoral manipulations ahead of Bihar’s assembly polls. Kharge’s fiery remarks underscore deepening tensions between the Congress-led opposition and the BJP, framing the battle as one for the soul of India’s democracy.

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