Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and their parties engaged in war of words following the latter’s remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting in Jammu when he said he won’t die before PM Modi is removed from power. Shah termed Kharge’s remark as “absolutely distasteful and disgraceful”.
At an election rally in Jasrota in Jammu on Sunday, Kharge felt dizzy and uneasy but resumed his speech after a brief pause, saying he won’t die before PM Modi is removed from power.
Shah said “in a bitter display of spite”, Kharge unnecessarily dragged the Prime Minister into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing Modi from power. “Yesterday, the Congress president Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech.
He said Kharge’s remarks showed how much hate and fear the Congress people have for PM Modi and that they are constantly thinking of him. “As for the health of Mr. Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” the Minister said. Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Nirmala said the Congress leadership never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards Modi. “Aptly said, Home Minister Amit Shahji,” Sitaraman said in a social media post.
Kharge responded to Amit Shah’s attack on him and said the Home Minister should focus on serious issues such as the Manipur situation, census and a caste census. “Home Minister Amit Shah should focus on serious issues like Manipur, census and caste census. Your Government’s own survey says that 92 percent of the employees cleaning urban sewers and septic tanks come from SC, ST, OBC categories,” the Congress chief said.
“The BJP is against caste census because then it will be known by which work SC, ST, OBC, EWS and all other categories are earning their livelihood. What is their economic and social status? What kind of targeted benefits of Government schemes should they get?” Kharge said.
He asserted that the Congress party is firmly committed to getting a caste census done. “We will get it done,” he added.
Addressing the rally on Sunday, Kharge had said, “I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power”. “I wanted to talk. But due to dizziness, I have sat down. Please pardon me,” the Congress leader said.
BJP slammed Mallikarjun Kharge, terming his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi “absolutely distasteful and disgraceful”. It also said Modi became the Prime Minister for a third consecutive term with the people’s mandate and not because of the Congress president’s grace.
BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain hit out at Kharge for his remarks and said Modi has become prime minister for the third consecutive term with the blessings of the people of the country.
Asked about Shah’s attack on Kharge, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “In his election speech, Kharge said ‘I am not going to retire till I see the exit of the Prime Minister’, which is a perfect political statement to make. The non-biological prime minister and this self-declared Chanakya (Shah) have made disgraceful statements and they are now accusing Kharge.”
“There is nothing wrong about Kharge’s statement. This is a deliberate distortion, a deliberate and malicious twist (to the Congress chief’s remarks). If I start recounting all the nonsense spouted by the Prime Minister on the Congress and its leaders, I can go on and on,” Ramesh said.
Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also hit out at Shah over his attack on Kharge. “What Amit Shah has said in his tweet is wrong -- that we hate Narendra Modi. We do not hate Narendra Modi but we love our country and hence, we want to make India free from his rule. It is our intention and aim,” Khera said.
