Govt's Partition Horrors Remembrance Day spreads hatred: Kharge

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday, 15 August said the rulers of today are encouraging divisive thinking and marking the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day with the intention of spreading hatred.

In his address at the Congress headquarters in Delhi on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day, Kharge condemned the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), saying that the Sangh Parivar promoted the British divide-and-rule policy for their own benefit.

"Unity in diversity is our strength and not a weakness. Some people propagate that we got independence easily but the truth is that lakhs of people made sacrifices, left their homes and even people from well-to-do families spent time in jails," he said.

Instead of walking the path shown by them, the rulers of today are giving encouragement to divisive thinking, he said.

"They mark Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas with the intention of spreading hatred. Those who did not participate in the Independence movement give advice to the Congress party and without any contribution want to be counted among the martyrs," the Congress president said.

The Modi government has been observing 14 August as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day since 2021 in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the country's Partition.

Kharge alleged, "It is a historical fact that their hate-filled politics resulted in the Partition of the country. The Partition happened because of them. For their own advantage, the Sangh Parivar promoted Britishers' divide-and-rule policy."

Taking a dig at the government's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, he said, "We are happy that they are repenting their mistake of 60 years." Those who used to avoid hoisting the flag on their offices are now talking of 'Har Ghar Tiranga'," Kharge said.

He also said people of every religion, caste and region took part in the independence struggle and made sacrifices. "After decades of struggle and sacrifices, the chains of slavery were broken and India became independent. In the independence struggle, countless Indians made sacrifices. We bow to all freedom fighters. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru , Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu and countless heroes like them (who) played a historic role in nation building," he said.

The spirit of the people and the tricolour's splendour wre seen by the country during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge said. "People of the country want har ghar naukri and har ghar nyay. We want social, economic and political justice. This country wants freedom from economic inequality and unemployment," Kharge said.

"These issues cannot be diverted from endlessly," he said, adding the more the delay in addressing these issues the more the problems compound.

The Modi government is in its eleventh year but people are grappling with unemployment, price rise and corruption.

"I want to tell Congress workers to be among people while taking up their issues and tell them that winds of change have started to blow. People looking at Rahul Gandhi with new hope as his yatra has filled a new spirit in people," he said.

This has given people confidence that a change is coming and it was visible in the polls, he said.

The Congress is committed to the welfare of people and the party's priority is Dalits, Adivasis, women and farmers. "We will ensure the country moves forward on the path of development."

Former Congress chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with other senior leaders were present on the occasion.