Modi frustrated, afraid of invisible voters: Kharge

Thiruvananthapuram: With the second phase of Lok Sabha elections just two days away, the Congress alleged on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "frustrated" and "afraid of invisible voters" who support the grand old party and accused him of using communal polarisation to secure votes. Addressing a press conference here, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at Modi and asked him if the BJP had such great confidence about their victory in the LS polls and the Congress is nothing, why is the Prime Minister bothered about them.

He also slammed Modi for his recent "mangalsutra' references against the Congress and said the party leaders have lived and made sacrifices for the nation.

The veteran Congress leader questioned if any leader of the BJP-RSS had ever made sacrifices for the nation and said they didn't even participate in the national movement.

"For elections, Modi ji is lying to the people that their mangalsutra shall not be safe. Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even happened once?" Kharge said.

Explaining the sacrifices made by Congress leaders, he further said Indira Gandhi had donated her jewellery during the 1962 war while Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru donated their houses for the freedom movement. Stating that the Congress had great expectations after the first phase of the polls was completed, the AICC chief said he had travelled to nearly 10-12 states and claimed his party was getting a very good response from voters there.

"I hope the undercurrent, that I can say, is not visible, but Modiji is afraid of these invisible voters who will come out in the election, and that's why he is always criticising the Congress," Kharge told reporters here.

If BJP will get 400 seats this time and they have such great confidence, then why is the saffron party welcoming corrupt people to their fold, he asked.

"You (the BJP) say on one side that Modi never tolerates corruption. Then you purchase...instead of purchase, I will say you lured nearly 444 MLAs, irrespective of parties which they belong to," he further said.