As ruling party decries “foul language”, Mallikarjun Kharge tells Rajya Sabha that remark made outside House, says, “Even in the freedom struggle, they only apologised to the British!”
The BJP and the Opposition locked horns in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark the day before when he asked the party if even a dog in BJP leaders’ homes had died for the country.
At a Bharat Jodo Yatra rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Monday, Kharge said the Congress won independence for India and “for the unity of the nation, Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life, Rajiv Gandhi gave his life for this nation’s unity”. He went on to say, “So this is what we did, our party leaders laid down their life. What did you do? Aapke ghar mein koi desh ke liye kutta mara hai? Kya koi toh kurbani di hai? Nahi. (Has even a dog in your home died for the country? Have you given any sacrifice? No) But even then they are patriots and whatever we say we’ll be traitors.”
Soon after papers were laid in the Upper House during the session on Tuesday, treasury bench members started demanding an apology from the Congress leader.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged those protesting to take their seats and asked Piyush Goyal, the Leader of the House, to persuade the members to maintain decorum in the House.
As protests continued, the Chairman said he does not “appreciate such unruly scenes and chaotic behaviour” in the House.
“This House, either side, is a platform of expression. This House has to reflect and take note of everything that happens outside. …everything spoken here carries a great weight. Anyone wants to take anything should take recourse to rules,” he said.
Goyal said, “Yesterday, Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge used foul language in his speech at Alwar. He made baseless remarks and tried to keep untruth before the nation. I strongly condemn it and demand an apology from him.”
The BJP leader went on to add, “The way he has used the foul language reflected his thinking and jealousy. ….He (Kharge) may be jealous that his party is not being accepted by people. Use of such foul language is an insult of this House and all citizens.”
Goyal claimed Mahatma Gandhi said the Congress should be disbanded after Independence, adding that Kharge’s behaviour shows that what Gandhi had said “was true”. He added, “Kharge does not even know how to give a speech. Till he seeks apology he has no right to stay in the House.”
Taking to Twitter, party IT incharge Amit Malviya said, “Earlier Rahul Gandhi was the only embarrassment, Congress spokespersons had to defend. Now they have a new addition. Life is good.”
Kharge replied that there was no need to discuss the issue as the remarks were outside the House. “What I had said politically was outside the House and not in the House. There is no need to discuss here,” he said, maintaining that the BJP did not have any role during the country’s freedom movement.
“We are setting a very bad example. ..This kind of conduct gives a bad name…Even the observations of the chair that are wholesome are indigestible. What a painful scenario we are having. Trust me, 135 crore people are laughing at us. They are concerned and thinking that we cannot listen to each other,” Dhankhar said.
The Vice-President said there might be a difference of opinion among members but one should not indulge in “tit for tat” like children and asked Kharge to continue his statement.
The Congress president went on to say, “If I repeat what I said outside it will be difficult for them. You are asking for an apology from those who fought for the country’s Independence. They accused the Congress of holding ‘Bharat Todo Yatra’, to which I responded by saying that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi gave their lives for the country. Who has given life from your side (BJP)?”
Goyal said the Congress leader had no right to make such a statement as he did not remember history. The minister hit back by using the examples of Jammu and Kashmir and how “China took over 38,000 km of land from India” when the Congress was in power.
Sharing videos from Parliament, Kharge tweeted, “Congress has always talked about uniting India. Indira Gandhi gave her life for the unity of the country, Rajiv Gandhi gave her life! No leader of BJP and RSS made any sacrifice to unite the country. Even in the freedom struggle, they only apologised to the British!”
News agency ANI quoted Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi as saying, “We strongly condemn the statement made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajasthan yesterday. It’s an Italian Congress which is running today. It is being said that he is a rubber stamp president.”
“I can’t believe that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge could stoop so low and use such objectionable remarks. He should understand his responsibilities as a leader of a political party. We are not enemies, we are rivals. It is distasteful, unfortunate and uncalled,” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told ANI.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who was recently in the news for his controversial statements on the film Pathaan and actor Deepika Padukone, told ANI, “It should be condemned. If he (Kharge) considers the sacrifice of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as a sacrifice for the nation then he should have a look at West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura where hundreds of BJP and RSS workers sacrifice their lives for the unity of the nation.”
