Had we won 20 more seats, they would be in jail: Kharge on BJP

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday suggested that BJP leaders would have been in jail had the opposition INDIA bloc won 20 more seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections, as he mounted a frontal attack on the Centre over various issues.

The BJP hit back at Kharge, alleging that his remarks were a clear example of the Congress party's "Emergency mindset".

“They (BJP) used to say 400 paar, 400 paar. Where is your 400 paar gone? They could get only 240 seats. Had we won 20 more seats, they would have been in jail. They deserve to be in jail," Kharge told an election rally in Anantnag without naming anyone.

'Abki baar 400 par (beyond 400 this time)' was the BJP's initial Lok Sabha poll campaign slogan, a reference to winning 400 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. While the BJP bagged 240 seats, the INDIA bloc, which included the Congress, wrested 234 seats.

Kharge stood by his comments when he was asked about it at a news conference in Srinagar.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to X to counter Kharge. "This is a clear example of Congress' 'Emergency' mindset...Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency and put opposition leaders in jail. The Congress wants to continue with that legacy," he said in his Hindi post.

The Emergency imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was in force for 21 months from 25 June 1975.

At his news conference, Kharge said the BJP should stop making efforts to break alliances and political parties opposed to it as they have a minority government at the Centre which depends on the TDP (Telugu Desam Party) and JD-U (Janata Dal-United) for survival.

"The Congress and National Conference are contesting the (Jammu and Kashmir) elections together, which has made the BJP nervous. Now they are trying to break the alliance." They (BJP) are even fielding private players and supporting them indirectly as independents in an attempt to defeat Congress-NC candidates, Kharge said.

"Now stop doing it, BJP. Your government is not 400+, it is 200+. It is a minority government. (Chandrababu) Naidu (TDP) can pull your feet anytime; Nitish Kumar (JD-U) can pull out anytime. You have given one hand to someone and one foot to someone else...you should tread carefully," Kharge added.

The Congress president appealed to people of Jammu and Kashmir to elect a strong government with a landslide majority that will solve their problems.

"If you elect a government on the balance (with thin majority), the BJP will bring down the government overnight through horse-trading. It happened in my state, Karnataka. They bought 16 persons (MLAs). In Maharashtra, they split Shiv Sena and NCP to form the government. This (BJP government) is a 'tod phod sarkar'," he added.

Launched a scathing attack on the Centre, Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were making false promises.

"They have promised to give five lakh jobs. There are one lakh vacancies in government in Jammu and Kashmir. Why were these not filled?" he asked.

The Congress chief claimed while unemployment and prices were on the rise, the BJP was giving away resources including minerals to its chosen people which have made local people poorer.

Kharge also hit out at Modi for, what he termed, misuse of foreign visits to malign the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi.

"Modi talks against India across the world with just one aim to demean Congress and image of Rahul Gandhi. In 60 years of Congress rule, we have never named and shamed India anywhere."