New Delhi:

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Celebration exchanged sharp assaults Monday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Muslim League imprint” and “bundle of lies” jibe at his rival’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has led the fightback – he mentioned the BJP is conscious it’ll lose this election and is appearing out of concern – and the occasion has filed a criticism with the Election Fee.

On Saturday, whereas addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, the Prime Minister declared the Congress’ manifesto “utterly bears the imprint of the Muslim League”.

“Congress issued a bundle of lies in its manifesto… each web page reeks of makes an attempt to tear India aside. It displays the ideas the Muslim League had earlier than independence,” the PM had mentioned.

READ | PM’s “Muslim League”, “Tukde” Jab At Congress’ Manifesto Guarantees

He repeated that declare at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar this morning, after which BJP President JP Nadda mentioned, “Congress has been repeatedly rejected however they’re insistent on politics of appeasement. I noticed the manifesto and was stunned. Is it their manifesto or that of the Muslim League…”

Just a few hours after that Congress retaliated – by submitting one criticism with the Election Fee in opposition to Mr Modi and one other in opposition to Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar (the BJP’s candidate for Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram) for offering “false data” in his election affidavit.

“We have now raised many points… together with how the Prime Minister referred to our manifesto as a “copy of the Muslim League” and about Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s election affidavits,” the Congress’ Pawan Khera informed reporters. Mr Khera and different prime leaders met the ballot panel this afternoon.

The “Muslim League imprint” jab additionally drew a fierce retort from Mr Kharge, who attacked the Prime Minister and Dwelling Minister Amit Shah for “spreading falsehood”.

In a powerful swipe on the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he mentioned “everybody is aware of how (Syama) Prasad Mookerjee “shaped his governments in Bengal, Sindh, and NWFP (North West Frontier Province) within the Nineteen Forties in coalition with the Muslim League”.

“Modi-Shah’s political and ideological ancestors supported the British and Muslim League in opposition to the Indians within the freedom wrestle…” Mr Kharge posted on X.

Modi-Shah’s political and ideological ancestors supported the British and Muslim League in opposition to the Indians within the Freedom Battle.

Even at present, they’re invoking the Muslim League in opposition to the ‘Congress Nyay Patra’ guided and formed in accordance with the aspirations, wants and…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 8, 2024

“Modi-Shah’s ideological ancestors opposed Gandhi’s name for Give up India in 1942, which was chaired by Maulana Azad. There’s a stink of RSS in Modiji‘s speeches… BJP’s electoral graph is plunging daily. Subsequently RSS has began remembering its finest buddy – the Muslim League!” Mr Kharge mentioned.

Earlier, too, after the PM’s preliminary jibe, the Congress had mentioned he “doesn’t know his historical past”.

The Congress identified that Jana Sangh founder and BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee himself was a part of a coalition authorities in Bengal with the Muslim League within the early Nineteen Forties.

“The Prime Minister doesn’t know his historical past. It was, the truth is, none apart from Mookerjee, the president of the Hindu Mahasabha then, who was himself a part of the coalition authorities in Bengal with the Muslim League… It’s the BJP, not the Congress, that believes in and practices the politics of divisiveness,” Congress Common Secretary Jairam Ramesh was quoted as saying by information company PTI.

The part of the manifesto – launched Friday – that has sparked this row is a assure to extend reservation for marginalised teams, together with Dalits, previous the Supreme Court docket’s 50 per cent cap.

“The Muslim League talked about reservation on foundation of faith in 1929… Congress is repeating the identical factor. The best way there may be speak of reservation on foundation of faith and promise of reservation past 50 per cent… who’s to be benefitted, Congress ought to make it clear,” Mr Nadda mentioned.

READ | Congress Manifesto Focuses On Unemployment, Guarantees Caste Census

The Congress manifesto additionally focuses on job creation and infrastructure improvement, and makes a number of different guarantees, together with guaranteeing MSP, or minimal assist value, to protesting farmers and direct money transfers to girls heads of under poverty line households.

With enter from companies

NDTV is now obtainable on WhatsApp channels. Click on on the hyperlink to get all the most recent updates from NDTV in your chat.