Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Narendra Modi seeking time from the prime minister to explain the Congress ‘Nyay Patra’ to him.

Coming as it does amid Modi’s intemperate attack on the Congress party, especially over its manifesto, Kharge’s letter to him states that the party’s Nyay Patra (manifesto) aims at providing justice to the youth, women, farmers, labours and marginalised people across all castes and communities.

In the letter, the Congress president pointed out to the prime minister that he was being “misinformed” about things that are not even written in the party’s manifesto.

In the two-page letter addressed to the PM, the Congress chief said, “I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am neither shocked nor surprised by your language or your speeches over the last few days. It was expected that you and other leaders from your party would start speaking in this manner after you saw the dismal performance of the BJP in the first phase of the elections.”

Stating that the Congress has been talking about the deprived poor and their rights, he said, “We are aware that you and your government do not have any concern for the poor and dispossessed. Your ‘suit-boot ki sarkar’ works for the corporates whose taxes you reduced, while the salaried class pays higher taxes. The poor pays GST even on food and salt and rich corporations claim GST refunds.”

“That is why when we talk of inequality between rich and poor, you are purposely equating it with Hindu and Muslim. Our manifesto is for the people of India whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist. I think you have still not forgotten your pre- independence allies, the Muslim League and colonial masters,” Kharge said.

Kharge, who is also the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha further said, “You and your government have repeatedly turned away from the atrocities that the poor and backward women are facing in the country. Today, you talk about their mangalsutra. Please read about the Nari Nyay which we will be implementing when we come to power.”

“It has become a habit with you to seize on a few words taken out of context and create a communal divide. You are lowering the dignity of the chair by speaking in this manner. When all of this is over, people will remember that the PM of the country used such vulgar language for fear of losing an election,” he said.

Stating that the Congress ‘Nyay Patra’ aims at providing nyay to the youth, women, farmers, labourers and marginalised people across all castes and communities, Kharge said, “You are being misinformed by your advisors about things that are not even written in our manifesto. I would be more than happy to meet you in person to explain our Nyay Patra so that as the PM of the country you don’t make any statements that are false.”

Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference, “There is no mention of inheritance tax in the Nyay Patra. The prime minister says Congress’ Nyay Patra talks about redistribution of wealth. We have not used a single word in the Nyay Patra that talks about wealth redistribution.”

“We have prepared our Nyay Patra after listening to the voice of the people during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” he added.