Kharge Targets BJP-RSS Over Patriotism, Freedom Struggle and Goa Politics

Verna, Goa, August 18, 2026; Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp political offensive against the BJP and RSS during a public gathering in South Goa, questioning their role in India’s freedom movement and accusing the ruling party of undermining political stability in Goa.

Kharge also took a direct swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah while highlighting his own long political career. Referring to the years he first entered the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the Congress chief said his political journey had begun before Shah was born.

The Congress president questioned the BJP and RSS over their participation in the freedom struggle and rejected what he described as attempts by the ruling party to claim a greater patriotic legacy. He invoked the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, pointing to Nehru’s prolonged imprisonment during the independence movement.

Kharge also accused the BJP of weakening social harmony by encouraging political and communal divisions. He argued that genuine patriotism should be reflected through national unity, secularism and collective progress rather than confrontation between communities and political groups.

Taking aim at the RSS and its ideological leadership, Kharge referred to an alleged purification ceremony held in Uttarakhand after one of his public meetings. He questioned whether such practices were compatible with the principles of religion and social harmony.

The Congress chief further highlighted his own political career, saying he had served for decades as an MLA and Parliamentarian and had faced significant personal and political hardships along the way. He credited the Congress organisation for giving him opportunities to continue in public life.

Turning his attention to Goa, Kharge accused the BJP-led government of benefiting from defections of elected Congress legislators. He claimed that voters had originally given Congress a stronger mandate but that subsequent defections altered the political balance in the Assembly.

Kharge urged Congress workers to strengthen their organisation at the booth level and remain united ahead of future electoral contests. He said the party should respond to defections by expanding its support base and presenting a stronger political alternative to the BJP.

The Congress currently has three MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly. The party had won 11 seats in the 2022 state elections, but eight legislators later joined the BJP, significantly reducing Congress’s strength in the House.

The remarks come amid renewed political campaigning in Goa, with the Congress seeking to rebuild its organisation and regain support after a series of defections.