New Delhi/Gandhinagar, April 8 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress party of pursuing "divisive" politics on Wednesday, as members of the Gujarati community staged a protest in Delhi against remarks made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
The demonstration took place outside the Congress national headquarters, where protesters gathered in large numbers, raising slogans and demanding a public apology from its senior leaders.
The protest followed a political controversy triggered by remarks made by Kharge during a recent election rally in Kerala.
Addressing a rally in Idukki, Kharge said, "Don't mislead the people of Kerala. They are very intelligent, they are educated… you can fool those who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you can't fool the people of Kerala."
The statement drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who described it as "derogatory" towards Gujaratis.
Responding to the controversy, BJP state spokesperson and Valsad MP Dhaval Patel said the remarks had caused widespread anger.
"A few days ago, the Congress president made a statement describing Gujaratis as illiterate and foolish. Because of this, Gujaratis across the state and the country are in anger and outrage," he said.
He added that protests had been taking place across Gujarat and that "today, a protest was also organised in Delhi outside the Congress headquarters, where thousands of people participated".
Patel alleged that the remarks reflected a broader pattern of divisive politics.
"This is a divisive politics of the Congress. They are trying to divide the country by targeting different states, whether it is Uttar Pradesh, Kerala or now Gujarat. However, Gujaratis will not fall for this divide-and-rule policy," he said.
Patel also referred to previous remarks attributed to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
"Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had made a remark against the state and its people, alleging that all Gujaratis are scammers," he said.
He further cited comments made during the Uttar Pradesh elections, claiming that Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had referred to Gujaratis as "donkeys".
He also mentioned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, alleging that she had recently stated that Gujaratis did not participate in the independence movement.
"This shows the hatred and the kind of poison that exists within the Congress and the opposition towards Gujarat," Patel said.
He added that the people of Gujarat had consistently supported Narendra Modi for decades and that such remarks were driven by political frustration.
"For the last 30 years, people have elected Narendra Modi as their Chief Minister, and then the PM, and the Congress party is frustrated with this. The people of Gujarat will not tolerate such statements," he said.
Highlighting the state's contributions, Patel said Gujaratis had played a significant role across sectors.
"From the independence movement, with leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to contributions in politics, sports and cinema, Gujaratis have contributed to the nation in every field," he said.
He said the protests would continue until an apology was issued.
"Until Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi come forward and openly apologise, these protests will not stop," Patel added.
Amid the backlash, Kharge later expressed regret, stating that his remarks had been misinterpreted and that he had no intention of hurting sentiments.