Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inciting people and dividing society with his election speeches.

Kharge, joined by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, and other leaders, addressed the media following an opposition alliance rally in the city on Friday.

“No prime minister before Modi has ever indulged in inciting people like he has been doing. He speaks about democracy repeatedly but doesn’t adhere to the tenets of democracy,” Kharge said.

Kharge also said, ‘Mamata Banerjee has said that she will support the INDIA alliance (government) from outside As far as Congress leader Adhir Ranjan’s remark is concerned, he is no one to decide anything. The top leaders and high command will decide that and those who won’t follow the same will be out of the party.”

Responding to PM Modi’s statement alleging that the Congress would bulldoze the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and reinstate Article 370 if the INDIA bloc were voted into power, Kharge dismissed the claims, saying, “We have never used a bulldozer on anyone. Modi has the habit of lying and inciting people about things which Congress will never do or the things that are impossible to be implemented.”

On Article 370, Kharge said that he is not “answerable to Modi”, and that the party will implement all that is promised in its manifesto.

He further criticised PM Modi for attempting to create division wherever he goes, citing Modi’s characterization of the Congress manifesto as both the Muslim League manifesto and a Maoist manifesto.

Kharge assured that reservation as outlined in the Constitution would remain intact under their governance, emphasizing that nobody can tamper with it.

He also said that the if INDIA bloc is elected, it will implement a simple, single rate GST, replacing the present GST.

“We introduced Food Security Act, but PM Modi is taking credit for free ration supply,” he alleged.

Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said that ‘acche din’ will begin from June 4, when the INDIA bloc will take over charge. He also attacked PM Modi saying that today he is calling the Thackeray camp ‘Nakli Shiv Sena’, tomorrow he may call RSS ‘nakli Sangh’.

The BJP is floating ‘Pakistan flags in our rally’ narrative to divert people’s attention from issues like jobs, the former Maharashtra CM said.

Pawar said that after coming to power, the INDIA bloc government’s duty will be to protect all religious places in the country.