‘BJP trying to plunder J’khand resources’: Kharge in fresh attack

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “jhootho ke sardar (head of liars)” and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to grab power to plunder Jharkhand’s coal and other mineral resources as it has no intention to ensure the welfare of people in the poll-bound state.

Addressing election rallies in Hazaribagh and Kanke ahead of the two-phase assembly polls in Jharkhand, the Congress chief also targeted BJP leaders for spreading fear in the state of Bangladeshi infiltration.

“The BJP is eyeing Jharkhand’s ‘black gold’ (coal) and seeking to plunder its mineral resources. Their intention is not the welfare of the people. The BJP talks about infiltration, but why can’t its governments at the Centre and in Assam take action against illegal immigrants,” he alleged.

Claiming that a large number of senior BJP leaders are campaigning in Jharkhand as they want to snatch power from a tribal chief minister in the state, Kharge said Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren will continue to be the CM after the upcoming assembly polls.

Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly will be held on November 13 and November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.

Accusing the prime minister of spreading lies, Kharge dared Modi to visit Karnataka to take first-hand information on how the Congress government’s five guarantees were changing lives of the people in the southern state.

“Modi ji misquoted me to spread lies regarding implementation of five guarantees of our party in Karnataka. I dare him to come to Bengaluru to get first-hand information regarding this,” Kharge said.

His remarks came days after PM Modi attacked the Congress over allegedly failing to deliver on its poll promises, saying the party was “badly exposed” for making “unreal promises”.

“The Congress party is realising the hard way that making unreal promises is easy but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver. Now, they stand badly exposed in front of the people!” Modi posted on X on November 1.

His comments came a day after Kharge advised Congress units to announce poll sops based on fiscal viability, warning that an unplanned approach could lead to financial difficulties and negatively impact future generations.

“PM Modi is ‘jhootho ke sardar’. He promised two crore (20 million) jobs to youths. But where is employment? Beware of them who will only indulge in loot,” Kharge said in Hazaribagh.

He alleged the BJP government at the Centre worked for the “welfare of rich people”, saying “5% of rich people amass 60% of the country’s wealth while 50% of the poor citizens have only 3% wealth.”

“PM Modi waived ₹16 lakh crore of loans of the rich but could not provide any relief to the poor, farmers and Dalits,” the Congress chief alleged. “PM Modi looted people but now talks about protection of Maati, Beti, and Roti.”

Hitting back at Kharge, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said people believe in PM Modi’s “guarantees” and not Congress’s “lies".

“It is the Congress which depends on lies and deceit, and not the BJP. The Congress has been practising communal politics due to which at least 1,000 riots, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riot, took place in the country during their rule. The BJP believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas.”

(With agency inputs)