'All these people would have been in jail': Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launches blistering attack on BJP, says party is rattled

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), taking direct potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir today.

“If we had just 20 more seats, all these people would have been in jail, and they deserve to be there,” he thundered from his speech in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag. This sharp remark set the tone for Kharge's criticism of the BJP, which he accused of stalling development in the Union Territory and betraying its promises.

Kharge's blistering speech went further, mocking the BJP's claim of winning over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha. “Where is your ‘400 paar’ now? You're stuck at 240,” he remarked, alluding to the BJP’s diminished position. He argued that the party was now relying on a “minority government” to cling to power.

He also focused on the alliance between Congress and the National Conference (NC) for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, stating that the BJP is rattled by how effectively the coalition is addressing the issues of the common people. Kharge pointed to the constant revisions in the BJP’s candidate list as evidence of internal turmoil within the saffron party.

Hitting out at the BJP’s handling of employment issues in Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge accused the government of neglecting the youth, stating, “Deception is the only policy of the BJP for the youth here. Exam paper leaks, bribes, and rampant corruption have delayed recruitment in government departments for four years.”

Kharge also criticised the stalled development projects in the region, highlighting how a market project inaugurated 10 years ago in Anantnag had seen no progress under the Modi government. “These people only give speeches and do no work,” he said, promising renewed development if the Congress-NC alliance is voted to power.

The Congress and NC have forged a pre-poll alliance for the 90-seat Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, which will take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and November 5. The results will be announced on November 8. This is not their first collaboration; the two parties are also part of the INDIA bloc, formed to challenge the BJP in the 2024 General Elections.

The BJP, meanwhile, has launched its own attacks, particularly targeting the Congress-NC alliance over contentious issues like the reinstatement of Article 370 and reservations, accusing the Congress of aligning with divisive forces in the state.