New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will secure a clear majority in the Lok Sabha polls and give the country an inclusive and nationalistic government. People have endorsed their view that “it will be the end of democracy if the current government gets another chance”, Kharge said while addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here on the last of campaigning for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

 

According to the Congress chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ‘mandir-masjid’ and divisive issues 421 times during the poll campaign despite the Election Commission’s direction of no appeal for votes on caste and religion. He also said Modi in his speeches in the last 15 days took the Congress’ name 232 times and his own name 758 times. He didn’t talk about unemployment even once, Kharge claimed. The INDIA bloc will form government with a clear majority and will give the country an inclusive, nationalistic government, he said.

 

“We are confident that people will give a mandate for an alternative government on June 4,” the Congress chief said. Kharge also took a swipe at the prime minister over his comments in an interview that global awareness about Mahatma Gandhi came after Richard Attenborough’s film, saying he may not have studied about Gandhi but the Mahatma is known the world over.

 

“Narendra Modi said he came to know about Mahatma Gandhi after watching the film ‘Gandhi’. This is laughable, perhaps Narendra Modi has never read about Gandhiji. The whole world knows Mahatma Gandhi, his statues are there at different places in the world, including in the UN,” Kharge said.

 

If Narendra Modi does not know about Mahatma Gandhi, he would not know much about the Constitution either, he added. Kharge said that Modi must read Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography to know more about him after June 4 when he will have a “lot of free time”.