Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge compared Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to the great personalities who fought against the British, Kittur Rani Chennamma and Jhansi's Rani Lakshmi Bai. Saying that Priyanka Gandhi represents 'Stri Shakti', he also described Rahul Gandhi as a symbol of 'Yuva Shakti'. Congress President Kharge made this comment during the Congress' 'Gandhi Bharat' program, which was organized to mark the completion of 100 years of the Congress session held in 1924 under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi in Belgaum.

He said, "If there is any Kittur ki Chennamma, it is Priyanka Gandhi. If there is any Jhansi ki Rani, it is Priyanka Gandhi. She is very strong. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, she took over the family. We have Stree Shakti (in Priyanka Gandhi) and Yuva Shakti in Rahul Gandhi." He said, "Belagavi is the birthplace of Kittur Rani Chennamma. She was a great woman who fought for the country's honour and the people of the country. Similarly, if there is a powerful woman who is fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, it is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She has that courage."

targeted Amit Shah

Kharge said both Rahul and Priyanka have earned a different reputation in the country, which is unique. "We have Stree Shakti (Priyanka Gandhi) and we have Yuva Shakti in the form of Rahul Gandhi. We are all with you," he said. The event, organised on the theme 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhaan', targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of "insulting" the Indian Constitution and its architect B.R. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha recently. The Union minister had dismissed the allegations as "false".

accused of abusing power 

Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and their supporters of "misusing" power to attack the Gandhi family and asserted that the opposition is no match for them. Kharge also recalled Mahatma Gandhi's famous statement made in Belagavi, "I want to live for India, I want to die for India." He claimed that Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Gandhi, was a disciple of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He said that though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah show respect to Gandhi, they actually worship Godse.

Accused of playing games by alleging differences  

The senior Congress leader also accused the BJP of "playing games" by alleging differences between Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Gandhi and Ambedkar. Refuting the BJP's claim that the Congress had insulted Ambedkar by ensuring his defeat, Kharge showed the public a letter, which he claimed was written by Ambedkar to his friend Kamalakant, in which he had mentioned that Savarkar and S.A. Dange were responsible for his defeat.

Attack on BJP regarding Baba Saheb

Kharge said, "Today the BJP chants the name of Ambedkar and bows its head before the Constitution. What is this drama? If there is anyone who burns the Constitution, Ambedkar and Nehru's statues, it is the BJP and the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha." The Congress chief said it was his party that helped Ambedkar win the elections. He also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was "harassing" Dalits and backward communities in universities while recruitments for Dalits were being made in the government sector.

"Looking for temples under mosques" 

On the surveys of mosques being conducted in the country, Kharge said, "The BJP and RSS are looking for temples under mosques. Why are they doing this? They will have to repent, because this is dangerous for the unity of the country." The Congress leader took a dig at Modi for his alleged statement that people came to know about Mahatma Gandhi after watching Richard Attenborough's film "Gandhi".