Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Monday, condemning Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s alleged derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father and demanding an apology.
The protest was led by R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. Former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan also joined the demonstration and criticised the Congress president’s remarks.
Addressing the gathering, BJP leaders accused the Congress leadership of making irresponsible statements and alleged that the party was facing political decline because of its leadership. They demanded that Kharge withdraw his remarks and apologise.
R. Ashoka launches attack on Congress leadership
R. Ashoka criticised Kharge and his son, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, alleging that their leadership was damaging the Congress both nationally and in the state.
“The father, Mallikarjun Kharge, and the son, Kharge Junior, are enough to destroy the Congress in the country and the state,” Ashoka said sarcastically.
He alleged that the Congress had lost political ground across the country and was heading towards further decline because of statements made by senior leaders. He also accused Kharge of repeatedly targeting Modi and said the Congress president should have refrained from making personal remarks.
Referring to Kharge’s earlier comments about Modi selling tea, Ashoka claimed that the Congress leader had stopped making similar remarks after facing public criticism. He also cited a Congress worker’s reported comments about the party’s inability to challenge the Prime Minister.
Ashoka invoked a composition by saint-poet Purandara Dasa to criticise Kharge’s language, quoting, “Achaaravillada naalige, ninna neecha buddhiy bidu naalige,” which urges a person to abandon improper speech and thoughts.
He argued that Kharge’s remarks reflected what he described as poor political culture within the Congress. Ashoka also questioned how the Congress would have responded if BJP leaders had made similar comments about Kharge’s father.
Ashoka makes controversial remarks against Kharge
During his address, Ashoka referred to reports that a venue where Kharge had addressed a meeting in Uttarakhand was cleaned afterwards. He used the episode to make a controversial remark about the Congress president, suggesting that stronger cleaning agents should be used to clean his mouth.
Ashoka further alleged that Kharge was frustrated by the prospect of Modi becoming Prime Minister for a fourth term. He claimed that the BJP had refrained from using similar language even when the Congress was in power for several decades.
He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that Gandhi spent more time abroad than in India.
Ashoka accused Congress leaders in Karnataka of preventing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from functioning freely. Referring to the alleged sting operation controversy involving Siddaramaiah, he said senior Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad had acknowledged that a sting operation had taken place.
“The BJP wants the truth about the sting operation to come out. We have already made our party’s stand clear,” Ashoka said.
He also accused the Congress of remaining silent on issues such as drought and alleged that the party was anti-national. These remarks were part of the BJP leader’s political attack on the Congress.
Ashoka demanded that Kharge apologise to the people of the country, saying the Congress president should withdraw his remarks if he had a sense of honour and dignity.
Chalavadi Narayanaswamy questions Congress allegations
Addressing the protest, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said the Congress leadership’s criticism of Modi was helping the BJP politically.
He accused Congress leaders of making irresponsible statements out of frustration after losing power and alleged that the party suffered from poor leadership.
Narayanaswamy also questioned the Congress’s allegations of vote theft, asking where the alleged electoral fraud had occurred. He described Kharge’s reported remarks about Modi’s father as unacceptable and accused the Congress of engaging in appeasement politics.
His comments reflected the BJP’s broader criticism of the Congress over its allegations concerning electoral irregularities and its attacks on the Prime Minister.
C.N. Ashwath Narayan demands unconditional apology
Former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan also condemned Kharge’s remarks during the demonstration, describing them as objectionable and indicative of frustration.
Ashwath Narayan alleged that the Congress president had lost control over his language. He accused the Congress of disrespecting the Constitution and democratic institutions while seeking power by any means.
He also criticised Kharge’s political association with the Gandhi family, referring to what he called the “fake Gandhi family”, and alleged that corruption had become synonymous with the Congress.
Ashwath Narayan demanded that Kharge withdraw his remarks and tender an unconditional apology.
The protest at Freedom Park brought together senior BJP leaders in Karnataka around the demand for an apology from the Congress president. The statements made during the demonstration included sharp personal attacks and broader allegations against the Congress leadership, reflecting the continuing political confrontation between the two parties.
The claims and accusations made by the BJP leaders represent their political positions; the allegations concerning the Congress and its leaders were not independently established in the account of the protest.