Congress hits out at Modi over ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khane Doonga’ slogan

Launching a sharp political offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Monday accused him of failing to live up to his widely cited anti-corruption pledge of “na khaunga, na khane doonga”, alleging that the slogan had turned out to be a “hoax” and claiming his government had delivered “minimum governance, maximum cover-ups”.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Modi, after taking office in May 2014, had projected the promise of clean governance as a cornerstone of his administration. However, Ramesh alleged that subsequent events had exposed what he described as a gap between rhetoric and reality.

“Under the prime minister’s leadership, it has always been a case of ‘khaunga, khane doonga, aur khilaunga’,” Ramesh said, accusing the government of shielding alleged wrongdoing rather than acting against corruption.

Citing demonetisation as an example, Ramesh said the credibility of Modi’s anti-corruption message was questioned after former prime minister Manmohan Singh described the 8 November 2016, currency ban as “organised loot and legalised plunder”.

The Congress leader also raised allegations linked to the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), claiming that its merger with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was aimed at covering up an alleged Rs 20,000 crore scam during Modi’s tenure as Gujarat chief minister. The allegations have been denied by the government.

Ramesh further criticised the electoral bonds scheme, describing it as part of what he called a massive “chanda do, dhanda lo” arrangement, and accused the government of allowing corporate interests to influence politics. He also referred to the Congress’ earlier campaign questioning the relationship between the Modi government and the Adani Group.

Turning to other controversies, Ramesh alleged that unanswered questions remained over the Rafale fighter jet deal and criticised the functioning of the PM CARES Fund, calling it “non-transparent and non-accountable”. He also claimed that audit concerns had emerged around flagship government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat and PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

The Congress leader cited several recent political controversies while questioning the government’s commitment to accountability. He alleged irregularities linked to the Ram Mandir land transactions in Ayodhya, criticised the continuation of certain chief ministers despite allegations against them, and accused the ruling establishment of using financial incentives to weaken opposition parties.

Ramesh also raised allegations involving individual ministers and state leaders, including claims related to subsidies, administrative influence and policy decisions. He questioned whether recent controversies surrounding officials and political figures represented isolated incidents or reflected deeper issues within the system.

Concluding his attack, Ramesh accused the government of failing India’s youth, particularly over issues surrounding examination systems and recruitment processes. He alleged that education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had presided over a compromised system that had undermined the aspirations of millions of students.

The BJP has repeatedly rejected Congress allegations, maintaining that the Modi government has pursued strict action against corruption and improved transparency in governance.

With PTI inputs