PM Modi should rise above his usual style of 'Bhaiyo or Beheno': Kharge

On 15 August, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech saying that he is highly disappointed as the speech reflected that the latter has not yet come out of the 2014 Assembly elections mode.

"The speech I heard from Prime Minister Modi today is very disappointing. I expected him to announce some good schemes about growth and also on how to stop atrocities on Dalits and how to safeguard the interest of the minorities and weaker sections. I also expected him to speak about unemployment of youth of this country. Everyday jobs are reducing in this country and but unfortunately, he has created hardly any employment in this country. So, this shows that during his period of two and a half years, he hasn't achieved any major thing. He is simply speaking on LED bulbs and electricity reaching 10,000 villages. There are lakhs of villages that were electrified that too with the Congress's efforts," Kharge told ANI.

He said that the Congress with the government as far as unity and integrity are concerned, adding that even in the Kashmir issue, all parties supported the view and the stand taken by the government.

In a 90-minute-long address to the nation, which covered a wide gamut of issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that there cannot be a bigger freedom for any citizen than the freedom from poverty, and invited all SAARC countries to fight this curse.

On inflation, he claimed that his two-year-old government has been successful in bringing it down from ten to six %, in spite of facing a series of challenges.

He also said that the government is committed to changing the situation where people are scared of filing their income tax or facing authorities of the department, particularly among middle class families.

He also dwelled on issues such as guaranteeing education for the girl child, financial independence for women and of the goods and services tax giving strength to the Indian economy.

-With ANI inputs