Patna (Bihar) [India], October 25 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, terming Kharge’s alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “deeply unfortunate” and reflective of the Congress party’s hostility towards the Prime Minister’s family.
Speaking to ANI, the Bihar Chief Minister lashed out at the Congress leadership and stated that targeting the family of the country’s Prime Minister has no place in democratic discourse.
“The statement made by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge is deeply unfortunate. Using derogatory language against the father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects the Congress party’s and Rahul Gandhi’s hostility towards the Prime Minister’s family. I demand that Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi immediately apologise for the offensive remarks against the Prime Minister’s father. The Congress party, its national president and former president Rahul Gandhi must all apologise. Engaging in politics while showing such hostility towards the family of the country’s Prime Minister is unacceptable,” CM Choudhary said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra also condemned Kharge’s outburst during a press briefing, remarking that the remark stemmed from deep political frustration within the party.
“This is highly condemnable. Kharge sahab is the same age as my father. In a democracy, making such a remark about a Prime Minister reveals the kind of language being used in politics today. I do not believe these words truly reflect Kharge ji’s own language. I believe they reflect the language of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The party is frustrated by its failure to bring about a change in government,” Patra told reporters.
Highlighting internal disillusionment within the opposition ranks, he added, “Even Congress workers themselves, at a party meeting where their national president was speaking, appeared convinced that Rahul Gandhi was not capable of leading the party to victory. They believe Rahul remains in vacation mode and that the Congress party has been declining ever since he took charge. According to them, as long as Rahul Gandhi remains at the helm, the Congress cannot move forward, and Modi ji will remain in power. Even an ordinary Congress worker seems to understand this.”
Further attacking Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, “I believe that every single worker in the Congress Party today knows what the reality is. Rahul Gandhi is, in effect, the president. He has merely placed Kharge ji in that position, but the real president is Rahul Gandhi. As long as this non-functioning leader remains at the helm, the Congress Party has no future.”
Detailing the incident that triggered such a response, Patra shared, “While he (Kharge) was addressing the gathering, some Congress workers stood up and objected to certain remarks made by Kharge ji. One of them remarked that Modi ji would not go anywhere. Earlier, during his speech, Kharge ji had claimed that they would remove Modi ji, prevent the government from returning to power, and bring the Congress to power. I was deeply saddened by the reaction of Kharge ji. He said, ‘Even Modi’s father will have to go, ‘ Patra said.
The controversy erupted during an address by Mallikarjun Kharge at the 139th birth anniversary celebrations of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Dr Krishna Singh, in Patna. A commotion broke out when an attendee in the gathering interrupted Kharge by stating that PM Modi would not go anywhere, prompting the Congress president to retort from the stage, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” (Even Modi’s father will have to go). (ANI)
