Congress lodges complaint after BJP refers to its manifesto as “Muslim League imprint” during Lok Sabha Election.

The Congress released its 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto on Friday. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge led a fightback against the BJP, stating that the party believes it is going to lose this election and is acting out of fear. The party filed a complaint with the Election Commission in response.

During an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, the Prime Minister declared the Congress’ manifesto to “completely bear the imprint of the Muslim League”. This statement drew a response from the Congress, with spokesperson Pawan Khera stating that they have raised issues including the Prime Minister’s reference to their manifesto and Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s election affidavits. Mr. Khera and other top leaders met with the poll panel to address the issue.

The “Muslim League imprint” jab also drew a fierce retort from Mr. Kharge, who attacked the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah for “spreading falsehood”. He criticized the BJP and its ideological mentor, accusing Modi-Shah’s political and ideological ancestors of supporting the British and the Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom struggle. Regarding the initial jibe by the PM, the Congress emphasized that he “does not know his history”.

They pointed out that Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Jan Sangh, was part of a coalition government in Bengal with the Muslim League in the early 1940s. The manifesto’s section guaranteeing an increase in reservation for marginalized groups, going beyond the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap, sparked the controversy. BJP President J.P. Nadda likened Congress’ proposals to ones put forward by the Muslim League in 1929, questioning who would benefit from such promises of reservation.

In summary, the release of the Congress’ manifesto for the 2024 elections has sparked a heated exchange between the Congress and the BJP, with accusations and rebuttals regarding historical associations and the content of the manifesto.