'Where is Bihar's promised financial package, jobs for youth?': Kharge slams Modi for running 'factory of lies'

Patna: Four days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar on April 24, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on the PM and charged him with running “a factory of lies”.

Addressing a rally in the poll-bound Bihar at Buxar on Sunday, the Congress president cited six examples of PM Modi’s ‘hollow promises’.

“PM Modi is running a factory of lies. In 2015, Modi had promised a special package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar. People should ask him where is that financial aid?,” said Kharge in his first visit to Bihar this year.

“The same Modi had promised 2 crore jobs for youths, bringing back black money from abroad, and depositing Rs 15 lakh in each individual account. Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ slogan too is a hogwash as sugar mills, which were promised to be re-opened were never opened,” Kharge listed out one ‘lie’ after another while launching a blistering attack on the Prime Minister. He also cited Modi’s promise of “Clean Ganga by 2022” and “doubling the income of farmers by 2022” to buttress his point.

PM Modi too is scheduled to visit Bihar on April 24 where he will address a BJP rally in Madhubani’s Jhanjharpur.

Kharge’s visit comes close on the heels of visit by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi who has toured Bihar thrice since January and has been making every effort to rejuvenate a moribund Congress which is out of power in the state since March 1990.

Meanwhile, the Congress president also came out in defence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in the National Herald case and said a false narrative had been created to tarnish the image of top Congress leaders.

Referring to the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Congress president said the BJP and the RSS had always tried to divide the society and communities. “They always try to drive a wedge between peace-loving communities. It’s high time you see through their ill-design,” said Kharge in chaste Hindi.

Before winding up his address, Kharge also blasted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his opportunistic alliance and U-turns. “To retain his chief-ministership, Nitish can go to any extent. The man, who used to adore Mahatma Gandhi, has joined hands with those who were responsible for Gandhi ji’s assassination,” averred Kharge, without naming any organisation.