New Delhi, April 7 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his "demeaning" remarks about North Indians and Gujaratis, as well as his "venomous" criticism of both the party and the RSS.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad criticized Kharge for his blatant attempts to defame Gujarati heroes and also questioned patriotic organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"You don't deserve to be the president of a national party, and you must step down from the position on moral and ethical grounds," said the BJP veteran in a scathing criticism.
Kharge's remarks, targeting the BJP in the run-up to the Assembly elections, quickly escalated into a major political storm. The Congress president first labeled Gujaratis as "illiterates" and then described the BJP and RSS as "poisonous snakes" that must be crushed.
Taking strong exception to Kharge's remarks, Ravi Shankar Prasad asked, "Was Gandhi illiterate? Was Sardar Patel illiterate? Were Moraraji Desai, or Vikram Sarabhai, illiterate?"
He stated that Gujarat, the land of heroes, which has produced many saints and patriots, was being labeled as "illiterate" by Congress leaders.
"Mr. Kharge, you owe an apology to the nation. We demand that the Congress national president apologizes to the nation for calling Gujaratis illiterate," he remarked.
He also stated that Gujarat's literacy rate is 82 per cent, which is among the highest in the country, and has only grown in recent decades. He also demanded that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi clarify whether they support the party president or disagree with him, and they should pressure him to apologize for such objectionable statements.
He said that Kharge was insulting the residents of Gujarat and other North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and asked, "What has happened to the Congress? Do you want to divide the nation?"
Doubling down on his attack on Kharge's comparison of the BJP and RSS to "poisonous snakes," he accused the Congress leader of inciting communal tensions by targeting minorities.
"Are you trying to incite the minority community against the BJP and RSS? Are you trying to inflame communal sentiments to create tension?" Prasad questioned.
Kharge, addressing a poll rally in Assam attended by a sizable number of the Muslim community, reportedly said that even if you are offering namaz, you should kill the poisonous snakes if spotted nearby, and then went on to label BJP and RSS as the "serpents" that must be crushed.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said that such brazen statements are not even made by Maoists, and added that such shameful and unfortunate attempts to slander a patriotic organization like the RSS are condemnable and abominable.