Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP for allegedly creating a distressing atmosphere in the country and urged citizens to rally behind the Congress for a brighter future.

Gandhi posted a video message on X where she highlighted the widespread challenges the nation is facing and said, today in every corner of the country, youth are facing unemployment, women are facing atrocities, Dalits, tribals, backward classes and minorities are facing terrible discrimination.

The Congress leader added that the atmosphere is due to the intentions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused them of promoting hatred for political gain. Gandhi said that the Congress has always fought for the progress of all, justice for the deprived and to strengthen the country. She urged the voters to lend their support once again while highlighting the party’s manifesto, Nyay Patra, which pledges to uplift the impoverished, support farmers and labourers, empower youth and women and strengthen marginalised communities.

She said the Congress and INDIA alliance is dedicated to protecting the Constitution and democracy.  She appealed to the people of India to Vote for Congress for a bright future for all and so that together they can build a strong and united India. Her video message was shared on the social media handle of Congress on X at a time when voting for the 3rd phase of Lok Sabha elections is undergoing in 93 constituencies across 11 states and Uniion Territories.

The Congress party has asserted that this Lok Sabha election is for saving the Constitution and the rights of tribals, poor and backward. Earlier during the day, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he wanted to hand over Jal, Jungle, Jameen belonging to tribals to industrialists.

Former Rajasthan Congress leader Radhika Khera today joined the BJP. She had left the grand old party a few days earlier after accusing senior leaders of harassment.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Khera announced her resignation from the Congress on Sunday, citing an alleged plot against her. She added that she felt punished for going to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Khera claimed that she had been mistreated, locked in a room, and harassed by Chhattisgarh Congress party leaders. She said that although she brought up the matter with the party officials, nothing came of it.

Khera, who had recently joined the BJP, praised the saffron party for their support and charged the Congress of being anti-Hindu.

After joining the BJP, Khera said, she wouldn’t be able to be here if she hadn’t received protection from the pm Modi-led BJP government. The manner in which I was misbehaved with on the land of Kaushalya Mata for being a devotee of Ram, for having darshan of Ram Lalla, she was mistreated, Khera said. The Congress of today is anti-Ram and anti-Hindu, it is not the Congress of Mahatma Gandhi, the she added.

Radhika Khera said in her resignation letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge that she was being criticised by other members of the party for her inability to control her desire to visit the Ram Temple and see the idol of Ram Lalla.

Before that, a video of Khera complaining about being disrespected had gone viral. She was clearly unhappy. She is heard accusing an unidentified person, saying that no one in the party is respected, particularly women who are elected to office.

She claimed, the chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Congress unit’s communication wing, Sushil Anand, and a few other people, verbally harassed her using words that she never thought existed during an incident on April 30, which she later disclosed details of. It is said that the men allgedly locked her in a room for a minute while a couple of other people stood outise the room to keep an eye on her in case she tried to run away.

As the 3rd phase of the 7-phase 18th Lok Sabha elections began on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the INDIA Alliance and claimed that Opposition parties are contesting elections to save their dynasty and that their alliance was not at all bothered about the welfare of the people. PM Modi was addressing a rally in Khargone where he claimed that the BJP government has given Madhya Pradesh a new and prestigious identity by rectifying the shortcomings left behind by the Congress.

PM Modi stressed that India is at a crucial moment in history and urged people to choose between vote jihad or the establishment of Ram Rajya. The distinction came during the Prime Minister’s continuing attack against the Congress and other Opposition parties over their alleged intent to appease their Muslim vote bank.

He said the opposition parties are contesting elections to save their inheritance and hand over their party to their children. They do not care about the happiness of the people. He further added that the INDIA alliance is not bothered about the fate of the masses.

PM Modi took a dig at the opposition and said there is a saying that applies to INDI people: Apna kaam banta, bhaar me jaye janta (do your work and let the people go to hell). Prime Minister Modi said that the votes of the people helped 250 million Indians to come out of poverty, and he believed India is progressing because of collective effort by everyone.

He further added that 1 vote of theirs has made India the 5th largest economy and has increased India’s global influence, helped in removal of Article 370 after 70 years, made an Adivasi daughter the President of india and given reservation to women, sent the corrupt people to jail and the guarantee of free ration and treatment.