‘Stale, hypocritical, insipid’: Congress tears into PM Modi over Independence Day speech

Kharge said the story of India’s freedom struggle was synonymous with the story of the Congress, and that the dream that the heroes of Independence had for the country “is slipping further away”. He also accused the BJP of “immorality to stay in power”, and questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission over the Bihar SIR.

“Large-scale irregularities in elections are coming to light. Under the guise of Special Intensive Revision, opposition voters are being openly removed from the rolls. Those who are alive are being declared dead. 20. The impartiality of the Central Election Commission can be gauged from the fact that they were not willing to disclose who was removed from the voter lists and on what basis,” he said.

The senior Congress leader said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had “proven with data how irregularities were committed to win a Lok Sabha seat” and similar evidence is “emerging from several seats”. “The party is closely studying such seats. In due time, this will be presented to the public…this is not just a challenge for us, but the greatest challenge facing the world’s largest democracy,” he added.

‘Desperate attempt to appease’

Terming PM Modi’s speech “stale, hypocritical, insipid, and troubling”, with the “same recycled slogans”, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that he had mentioned the BJP’s ideological mentor since he was “decisively weakened” after the 2024 Lok Sabha results and at “complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat’s good offices for the extension of his tenure”.

In his Independence Day speech on the 79th Independence Day, PM Modi mentioned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, saying that 100 years ago, an organisation was born, and that “it will continue to inspire us”.

“The most troubling element of the PM’s speech today was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort — a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month,” Ramesh alleged.

“This politicisation of Independence Day for personal and organisational gain is deeply corrosive to our democratic ethos,” he also said, questioning the PM’s “eloquence” on unity, inclusion, and democracy at a time when he has “presided over and engineered the collapse of our most foundational Constitutional institutions like the Election Commission.”

Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra underlined the sacrifices made by millions of India’s heroes to grant it freedom and the need to protect it along with the Constitution. “They entrusted us with the national resolve of democracy, justice, equality, and mutual unity. Through the principle of one person – one vote, they gave us a prosperous democracy. Our resolve to protect our freedom, constitution, and its principles remains unwavering,” she said.

Other Opposition parties

Rashtriya Janara Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha accused PM Modi of having spoken from a perspective of “dog-whistling and politics”, having “distorted history” and “negated the foundation” on which the country was built.

“It is unfortunate that we have been failing at discovering a large-hearted PM for the last 12 years…presenting contorted historical facts, negating the foundation of this nation – there was nothing here before…there was darkness, now there is light. What light are you talking about? What will you achieve without the foundation? What are you cancelling? You are cancelling Bharat,” Jha said.

“Dog-whistling, politics – a speech in these tongues…it does not behove you even during elections; but when you…spread lies from the ramparts of the Red Fort, legitimise hatred and enmity…it is an opportunity for you, Pradhan Mantri ji, to introspect where we have reached from ‘A tryst with destiny…’” he added.

The Trinamool Congress accused the Prime Minister of using his Independence Day address to target “infiltrators” as a “new enemy”, with TMC Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose accusing him of “over-promising and under-achieving”.

“After Andolanjeevis etc now ‘infiltrators’ are the new target. Again, new ‘missions’ announced while targeting past governments. When will Modi give an August 15 speech truthfully, addressing his own record of 11 years marked by over-promising and under-achieving,” Ghose said in a post on X.

The TMC leader was referring to PM Modi’s speech, during which he sought to warn people of an alleged premeditated conspiracy to change the country’s demography through illegal infiltration, adding that no nation can tolerate intruders, announcing a high-powered demographic mission to tackle the problem.

CPI (M) general secretary M A Baby accused PM Modi of dishonouring the memory of India’s martyrs and “the spirit of our freedom movement” by “lauding the RSS”. “This is profoundly unacceptable and shameful,” he said in a post on X.

“… it is deeply regrettable that Prime Minister Modi…chose to praise the RSS — an organisation with a dubious historical record. An organisation which had no role whatsoever in these struggles and has consistently sought to undermine national unity along religious lines,” Baby said.

He added that the RSS was “banned following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of our freedom struggle.”