BJP Protests Demand Apology from Congress President Kharge Over Remarks on PM Modi's Father
Protests Erupt in Assam Against Kharge's Comments
BJP Assam unit staging protests against Kharge's remarks over PM Modi's late father (Photo: AT)
Guwahati, Oct 26: The Assam branch of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized a protest in Guwahati on Monday, participating in a nationwide initiative that calls for an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge regarding his alleged offensive comments about the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The demonstration took place at Sarusajai, where BJP leaders and supporters shouted slogans against Kharge, as well as Congress figures Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, denouncing the remarks made by Kharge during a party event in Patna on Sunday.
Ratna Singh, a member of the BJP Mahila Morcha, stated that Kharge’s statements reveal the Congress party's 'true character' and are intolerable.
“As the Congress president, Kharge's disrespectful language towards Prime Minister Modi’s deceased father in Patna showcases the party's real nature. Previously, opposition leaders have also made inappropriate comments about the Prime Minister’s late mother,” Singh remarked.
Singh further asserted that the BJP will not accept such remarks directed at a democratically elected leader.
“Kharge is of our grandfather’s generation, yet he resorted to such offensive language. We will not stand for this. BJP members nationwide are protesting today, and we in Assam are also voicing our condemnation,” she added.
Purabi Roy, the state president of the BJP Mahila Morcha, called for Kharge’s resignation and a public apology.
“We demand Kharge's resignation and a public apology for his statements,” Roy stated.
BJP member Rupak Sharma emphasized that political disagreements should not involve family members.
“While political debates are acceptable, dragging someone's father into it is unacceptable,” he noted, mentioning that Kharge had previously made disparaging comments about Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also criticized Kharge, referencing his earlier comments about Assamese cultural figure Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and the government's decision to award him the Bharat Ratna.
Sarma also took aim at Kharge’s son, Priyank Kharge, alleging that his past remarks showed a lack of respect for Indian culture.
Similar protests were reported in Bihar, Jammu, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, where demonstrators waved party flags and burned effigies of the Congress president.
The protests were sparked by Kharge’s speech at a Congress event in Patna on Sunday, commemorating the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first Chief Minister.
During the event, an audience member interrupted Kharge, claiming that Modi would not relinquish power. In response, Kharge reportedly stated, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” (Even Modi’s father will have to go), a remark that reignited political controversy and drew severe backlash from the BJP.