Mallikarjun Kharge accuses Modi govt of weakening Congress-era institutions, MGNREGA

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Modi government of weakening the institutions and schemes, including MGNREGA, built by the erstwhile Congress rule and appealed to the party to resist it.

"During Sonia Gandhi's presidency of the Congress, the UPA government expanded protection of people's rights. When Manmohan Singh was the prime minister, RTI, RTE, Food Security, MGNREGA, forest rights and land acquisition laws were enacted. In the past 11 years, the Modi government has weakened Congress-built institutions," Kharge said at the Congress foundation day event.

Warning the RSS-BJP leaders against taking the Congress as a spent force, he said Congress would fight back even without power. "We may have less power, but our backbone is not weak. We believe in religion but we do not seek votes in the name of religion. But some have turned religion into politics. RSS leaders had once refused to accept even the Tricolour and Vande Mataram and they are now crushing the rights of the people. We must stand firmly and resist such attempts."