Kharge targets BJP: Concerted effort in last 10 years to erode democracy, bulldoze institutions

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 2024 is a crucial year for India's democracy, insisting that 140 crore Indians have trusted the nation's long-standing institutions, carefully built by the country's founders.

Targeting the BJP without naming the party, he also alleged that in the past 10 years, there has been a concerted effort to erode democratic structures, bulldoze institutions, and hurt the integrity of our systems. The BJP has been in power at the Centre since 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge quoted India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru as saying, "Democracy is the best form of government. It allows people to have a say in how they are governed and to hold their leaders accountable."

"The year 2024 is a watershed year for India's Democracy. 140 crore Indians gave a verdict which believed in our long-standing institutions, painstakingly built by the makers of our nation," Kharge said in a reference to the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results.

"Now, we have to be far more vigilant to uphold the values of our parliamentary democracy and Constitution and protect the ethos which 'We, the People of India' collectively believe in," he said in a post on X on the occasion of International Day of Democracy.

"On International Day of Democracy, let us rededicate ourselves to the essence of India, which encompasses the principles of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity," Kharge said.

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe September 15 as the International Day of Democracy and invited all member states and organisations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness.

(With agency inputs)