Contesting election for Cong president's post to fight BJP-RSS: Kharge

Jammu, Oct 09: Describing the elections for the post of president as an internal matter of the Congress, senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the real fight of the grand old party is against the BJP and the RSS that are "vitiating" the political, democratic and social atmosphere in the country.

He said the BJP has no right to raise questions on the system of democracy in opposition parties and asked if anybody knows how elections of a president are being held in the saffron party.

"The democratic institutions built by Congress in seven decades have been weakened and the voice of dissent is being muzzled and crushed...Our real fight is against the BJP and the RSS who are vitiating the political, democratic and social atmosphere in the country," Kharge, who is in the race for the post of the Congress president, said.

Addressing a gathering of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates here, he said it is the Congress party which is on the forefront to safeguard the Constitution and the democratic institutions in the country against all odds.

"The assets created by the Congress right from Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to Manmohan Singh government have been sold by the Narendra Modi-led government. The Congressmen have to take the lead and wake up and carry along everybody to save the Constitution and democracy in the country," Kharge said.

Terming the ongoing elections as an internal matter of the Congress, he said prior to this, polls were held four times for the post of the Congress president, including the last one between Sonia Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada.

"Nobody knows when and how elections of president are held in BJP, so what right the party has to raise questions about others especially Congress which is the oldest and largest democratic party in the country," he said.

Accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Nasir Hussain and former AICC spokesperson Prof Gourav Vallabah, Kharge appealed for support from the delegates and said he has risen from the ranks during his long association with the party.

Referring to the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi, he said it has created a new hope, revived the spirit and infused fresh strength amongst the countrymen to fight against "communal and divisive" forces and the "politics of hate" and create an atmosphere of religious harmony and peace.

Stating that he resigned from the post of the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha adhering to the resolution of 'one-man, one-post' of Udaipur Nav Sankalp Shivir of the party, he said the resolution of adequate representation to the youth would be implemented in letter and spirit.