Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called on INDIA bloc partners to strengthen their collective fight against the Narendra Modi government, citing the Opposition’s success in defeating what he described as the Centre’s “malicious” delimitation bills in the Lok Sabha as proof of the alliance’s strength and unity.
Addressing the INDIA bloc meeting, Kharge outlined a roadmap for reviving and strengthening the Opposition alliance following recent electoral setbacks in several Assembly polls. He also sought greater participation from alliance partners to make the coalition a more effective platform for challenging the BJP-led government.
“On April 17, 2026, we demonstrated our unity and solidarity in the Lok Sabha in a very decisive manner when we all came together firmly to defeat the Modi government’s malicious bills on delimitation. Now we must strengthen that same spirit even further and move forward, so that we can confront the many political, economic, social, and foreign policy challenges facing the country due to the Modi government’s misgovernance,” Kharge said.
The Congress chief launched a broad attack on the NDA government, accusing it of undermining constitutional values, misusing investigative agencies against political opponents and discriminating against non-BJP-ruled states. He also expressed concern over the country’s economic outlook, particularly amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
Kharge claimed that investment growth was insufficient to create the jobs needed for the country’s youth and warned that the increasing dominance of private monopolies was placing the future of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at risk.
“Our foreign policy has been completely compromised, and those traditional values that India has long staunchly supported have not been upheld,” he alleged.
Raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the alleged misuse of government agencies for political purposes, Kharge described the issues as “deeply concerning”. He further claimed that the SIR exercise had deprived millions of people of their voting rights while attacks on constitutional principles continued unchecked.
The Congress president also highlighted the rising cost of essential commodities, saying it had placed a heavy burden on ordinary citizens and contributed to what he termed an increasingly negative economic environment.
Turning to the issue of education and employment, Kharge criticised the government over repeated examination paper leaks, alleging that poor management of the examination system was damaging the future of young people across the country.
“The hopes and aspirations of our lakhs of youth are being betrayed. Atrocities against the weaker sections of society, especially in BJP-ruled states, continue relentlessly,” he said.
