Cheap PR stunt: Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at PM Modi over poll promises jibe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sharp critique of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over Karnataka election promises has intensified a verbal clash between the BJP and Congress. On Friday, Kharge issued a pointed response, accusing the BJP of misleading the people and calling the NDA’s recent 100-day plan as “a cheap PR stunt”.
In a pointed rebuttal to PM Modi over his remark that the Congress failed to fulfil the poll promises in Karnataka, Kharge said that “lies, deceit, fakery, loot, and publicity” define characteristics of NDA government at the Centre.
“Lies, Deceit, Fakery, Loot, and publicity are the five adjectives that best describe your government! Your drumbeating regarding a 100-day plan was a cheap PR stunt! On May 16, 2024, you also claimed that you took inputs from more than 20 lakh people for the road map for 2047. RTI filed in PMO declined to put forth details, exposing your lies!,” Kharge tweeted.
In a sharp attack on the BJP, the Congress chief said that the “B” and “J” in BJP stand for “Betrayal” and “Jumla,” a popular Hindi term meaning “empty promises.”
Accusing PM Modi’s government of falling short on its commitments, the Congress chief said that BJP in the Centre went back on its promises seven times since coming to power.
“Acche din (good days ahead), two crore jobs per year, Viksit Bharat (developed India),” are some of the seven questions that Kharge put forward to the ruling NDA government and said that the ruling government has failed to fulfil the promises.
He stated, “Modi ki Guarantee is a cruel joke on 140 crore Indians!”.
On Friday, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress after Mallikarjun Kharge advised his party’s state units should make only those guarantees that are “fiscally doable.”
“The Congress Party is realising the hard way that making unreal promises is easy but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign, they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver. Now, they stand badly exposed in front of the people!” The Prime Minister wrote on X.
The Prime Minister’s remark came a day after the Congress chief publicly criticised the Karnataka government after Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar suggested that a key guarantee of the government would be reviewed.
“You promised five guarantees in Karnataka. Inspired by you, we made a promise of five guarantees in Maharashtra. Today, you mentioned that you would cancel one of those guarantees. It seems like you don’t all read the newspapers, but I do, so I’m telling you this,” Kharge said at a press conference.
Slamming Congress, PM Modi raised the issue of governance in states where it holds power and said that there is a decline in both developmental progress and fiscal health.
“Check any state where the Congress has governments today — Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana — the developmental trajectory and fiscal health are turning from bad to worse,” the Prime Minister said.