SASARAM(Bihar): Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his speech on the 79th Independence Day, alleging that the organisation was opposed to India’s freedom struggle.
Kharge questioned the role of the RSS during the country’s independence movement, asking how many of its members went to jail at the time.
#WATCH | Sasaram, Bihar | On PM Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha LoP and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “He is a very dangerous man. Unless you remove him from power, your votes, rights, freedom, and even the Constitution will not remain safe.” pic.twitter.com/E853va4jUp
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2025
Addressing the ‘Voter Adhikar Rally’ in Sasaram, Kharge said, “All the people who fought for our freedom gave us the right to vote. Today, PM Modi is challenging that right from the Red Fort… The RSS was against the freedom of the country. They separated Mahatma Gandhi from his people… How many RSS people went to jail or were hanged?… If PM Modi is taking the names of such people from the Red Fort, then what would the souls of those who fought for our freedom be saying today?”
He further warned that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, people’s democratic rights, votes, and even the Constitution are at risk.
“He is a very dangerous man. Unless you remove him from power, your votes, rights, freedom, and even the Constitution will not remain safe,” Kharge said.
#WATCH | Bihar: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi share a hug with former Bihar CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav during Congress’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ beginning from Sasaram today.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and others also… pic.twitter.com/CvK4SgcnG3
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2025
In the same rally, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav also accused the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to scam the people of Bihar by carrying out a “conspiracy” to cut the names of people from the voter list.
“Narendra Modi is dead set on destroying the lives of the youth of Bihar. Modi makes the illiterate clap for him and does politics. But our politics is about providing jobs to everyone. Today, that is why we are here. Election Commission, Modi, Bihario ko choona lagana chahate hai (want to scam the people of Bihar). Do not think of Biharis as weak,” Yadav said.
The Congress has launched a massive ‘Vote Adhikar Rally’, starting from Sasaram in Bihar, targeting the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the poll-bound state.
The Opposition, also known as the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, has alleged that the SIR is an attempt to delete the names of legitimate voters from the electoral rolls. (ANI)