Kharge says 146 MPs suspended to pass Bills; likens 3 criminal laws passed to farm laws of 2020

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that the three criminal laws passed without opposition in Parliament will bother people a lot.

The Congress President also again took an indirect jibe at Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for raising the caste issue in Parliament, saying if a person sitting on such top Constitutional post can say that, then one can imagine the condition of Dalits.

He said that the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc was formed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have taken a pledge to “end” the democracy and the Constitution.

Speaking at the 'Save Democracy' protest of the INDIA bloc over the suspension of 146 MPs from the Parliament's Winter Session, Kharge said: "Why this INDIA alliance was formed? It was formed because Modi and Shah have taken the vow to end democracy and the Constitution. Even Dalits, labourers, farmers, women are being suppressed. And it was reason why they suspended 146 MPs."

He said that after the opposition MPs were suspended, they did satyagrah at Mahatma Gandhi statue.

"Then from the government side, it came that a person sitting on the very high post of Constitution and said that I come from a community and it is the reason why they are insulting me. If you have taken the vow to save the democracy and to follow the Constitution but then speak about the caste in the House, then it is very saddening. If this is your condition then what would be my condition as a Dalit," he said taking an indirect dig at Dhankhar.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said: “When I rose to speak in the House I was not allowed to speak. Whenever rape cases are reported, when Dalits are suppressed, farmers are beaten and the Constitution is shattered...and when we give notice (in Parliament) we are not even given a chance to read the notice. Should I say that the BJP govt is not letting a Dalit speak? You can't take away our right to speak,” he alleged.

"You are sitting on a constitutional post and you cry. In democracy everyone has right to speak," Kharge said, adding that we got freedom due to efforts of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.R Ambedkar and lakhs of people gave sacrifice for the independence.

"But in contrary not a single person sacrificed from your side," he said.

Slamming the government over the passage of three criminal Bills, which were passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Kharge said, "You suspended the MPs and all the laws were passed. Three criminal laws are such that they will bother the people a lot."

He said that the government had earlier brought similar three laws for farmers.

"Thus we have to fight. We have to fight unitedly and Modi is trying to threaten our workers. Wherever there are elections they threaten with CBI, ED and IT. Congress will not fear and not bow down. Modi, no matter how much you try, we will rise. We are like seeds and we will keep growing. We will save the democracy, constitution and we are fighting together. And all opposition leaders have come together," Kharge said.

He also slammed the Prime Minister and said: "Modi has become so arrogant that he is saying before elections that he will win 400 seats. He is not so popular, when he came to Karnataka, I saw how they were defeated -- same was the case in Telangana -- in Himachal Pradesh also they lost. The people who voted you to power, know well how to throw you out of power. We also have to think about unemployment and inflation."

Besides Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, CPI leader D Raja, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and many other leaders were present during the protest at the Jantar Mantar here.