New Delhi:

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mangalsutra” comment at Rajasthan’s Banswara rally, saying it has always been his (PM Modi’s) strategy to divide.

He said, “He (PM Modi) has always had a strategy to divide. How to take the country forward is important. Leaving aside this, he is talking about Hindu-Muslim, Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Caste. He is looking for votes. Are doing all this for.” , Not for the benefit of the country,” Kharge said.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress wanted to snatch people’s gold and property and distribute it among those “having more children”.

Emphasizing the importance of ‘Mangalsutra’ (traditional Indian jewelery worn by married Indian women) for women, she said that no government has the power to take it away.

When they (Congress) were in the government, they said that Muslims have the first right on India’s resources. Therefore, they will distribute this wealth (property and gold) among people with more children, among illegal immigrants… This urban Naxalite thinking will not spare even your mangalsutra,” the PM said.

Congress alleged that PM Modi and BJP have deliberately and repeatedly used religion, religious symbols and religious sentiments in their election campaigns and the same is being done without any exemption.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday said the party in its petition to the Election Commission of India has urged it to take appropriate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi “regardless of the status of the person”. Recent speech in Banswara, Rajasthan.

Mr Singhvi said the Prime Minister’s statement was ‘seriously, ridiculously offensive’.

“I have had the privilege of leading the Congress delegation relating to about 17 complaints in the ECI. The most important is the first which relates to the highly objectionable comments of the Chief Executive Officer of this Government. We respect his position. He is as much our He is as Prime Minister as you are and he is from BJP. Unfortunately, the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable. We request him (PM Modi) with folded hands to withdraw this statement and give us an explanation. Have asked the Election Commission to convey that this is the position in law, we will do in his honor what we do to others,” Mr Singhvi said after a Congress delegation met the Election Commission of India on Monday. Speaking to reporters later.

He said, “I am not quoting what he has said. He has named a community, he has clearly talked about religion, he has clearly talked about communalism and community. He has called it majority. It is linked to the deprivation of resources and the raising of funds and monopoly.” resources by that minority. He has worn nothing less than a Mangalsutra as a Hindu concept, hence clearly violating Section 123, which is the basic principle of not allowing incitement and incitement of communal feelings,” the senior Congress leader said.

He described the speech as a “very serious, unnecessary attack” on the basic structure of the Constitution and appealed to the ECI to take action.

“Several circulars of ECI on MCC, latest dated March 1, 2024. The constitutional ethos and spirit that makes secularism a basic structure in our Constitution, a level playing field and democracy part of the basic structure. A basic structure means That no constitutional amendment can violate the basic structure is a very serious, unnecessary invasion and we hope and believe as the ECI itself is on trial that the person who has taken this justified action will be punished, whatever may be his position. Any other cases should be followed up soon,” Mr Singhvi said.

Mr. Kharge also said that Congress is going to get more seats in Karnataka.

“Congress is going to get more seats in Karnataka…people of Karnataka have changed. This time they are not going to give them (BJP) any seats,” he told reporters here on Tuesday.

He was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mangalsutra” comment at a public rally.

Lok Sabha elections are being held in India in seven phases from April 19 to June 1 to elect 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)