China encroached on our territory, yet PM Modi remains silent: Kharge

Shimla, May 25 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that China has encroached on India's land and is constructing houses and roads but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent.

Where is the 56-inch chest, Kharge asked, taking a dig at the prime minister in his address at a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Rohru.

The Congress chief said his party is fighting to save the people of the country and the Constitution. If the Constitution is not saved, democracy and the rights granted under it would be snatched, he alleged.

The Modi government supports the rich, while the Congress is with the poor. India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru built infrastructure which helped the poor and Modi is asking the Congress to give an account of 55 years, Kharge said.

"We will give account of every penny, but Modi should first give account of his tenure." Kharge said, "We fought against Pakistan and got independence for Bangladesh. China encroached on our land and is constructing houses and roads and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent. Where is the 56-inch chest?" The Congress chief also hit out at the Centre for allegedly not providing aid to the Himachal Pradesh government in the aftermath of the natural calamity during the monsoon last year.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had sought Rs 10,000 crore aid from the Centre after the floods but got only stones, Kharge claimed.

At the rally in the apple belt in Shimla district to garner support for Congress candidate from Shimla (SC) parliamentary constituency Vinod Sultanpuri, the party president said PM Modi had promised to ensure remunerative returns to apple growers but he reduced import duty.

"Modi tells lies. He says something and does the opposite," Kharge alleged.

He asked people whether they got Rs 15 lakh which PM Modi had promised to give by getting black money parked in Swiss banks back to India, whether 20 crore jobs were given and whether the income of farmers doubled.

The cost of the bullet train increased from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore and has not been constructed yet, Kharge said and promised to fill 30 lakh vacancies in government posts if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections. PTI

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