New Delhi, Feb 28: The Congress on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attacking its leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, and accused him of not just insulting them but also women and Dalits of the country.
The party also alleged that PM Modi has lowered the dignity of the office he holds.
“What the prime minister talked about Kharge ji in Karnataka is not just an insult to Kharge ji but of all those who elected him for 50 years in electoral politics in both the assembly and Parliament and all those delegates who elected him as the Congress president,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told reporters here.
She said she wants to tell the prime minister that he cannot withstand the fact that a Dalit has become the Congress president.
“May I remind the prime minister, when you speak the language against Congress Parliamentary Party chief Mrs Gandhi who is ailing and has been advised to stay away sun, but still chose to attend the party’s plenary session in Nava Raipur because of her dedication to it, you disgraced women all over the country.
“You do not just disgrace Mrs Gandhi but you disgrace the institution. I can put out multiple videos showing how senior leaders in the BJP are shown in a ‘coma’ the moment they cross the age of 75 years.
“He has to talk about issues that are in Karnataka…hate in Karnataka, instead he chooses to talk about our leaders. The more he attacks our leaders, the greater our resolve becomes to fight him and the greater the resolve of our people to push him out of a position whose dignity he cannot maintain,” the Congress leader said.
She said sometimes, “you have objections to his scarf. Is it only you who can use expensive scarfs or a Mont Blanc pen or a Louis Vuitton scarf.” “You are not insulting him but the community to which he belongs and you will have to stop that. You make insulting remarks about former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, which you often indulge in as it is your habit to insult women,” she said.
“I can show you many of your videos…when party veterans like Advani ji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji are standing with folded hands before you and you do not even look at them and ignore them,” she said.
When the prime minister speaks against Kharge ji and Sonia ji, he lowers the dignity of the post he holds, the Congress leader alleged, noting that “with every passing day Mr Modi is reducing the little bit of semblance, respect and dignity left to an office that he has held for nine years now”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress of disrespecting Karnataka, while alleging that its president Kharge, who hails from the state, was insulted by the party during its plenary session in Chhattisgarh.
He said Kharge was insulted and disrespected by the party, in favour of a “family”, apparently indicating the Nehru-Gandhi family, despite the Congress chief’s seniority and age.
“I want to remind you how Congress hates Karnataka. Insulting Karnataka’s leaders is part of Congress’ old culture. From whomever Congress’ family feels troubled, disrespecting them begins in that party. History stands witness to the insult meted out to the leaders such as S Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil before the family. Everyone in Karnataka knows it,” Modi said.
Addressing a massive gathering in Belagavi, he said now once again, one more leader from Karnataka was insulted by loyalists of the family.
“I have great respect for Mallikarjun Kharge, a son of this land, who has about 50 years of parliamentary or legislature experience. He has tried to do whatever he could in the service of people. But I was sad looking at how Kharge, who is the president of the party and a senior in age, was treated during the Congress’ session in Chhattisgarh,” the prime minister said.
“The weather was hot, everyone standing there feeling the heat was natural, but in that heat the good fortune of umbrella’s shade was not there for Kharge who is Congress chief and senior in age. The umbrella’s shade was for someone standing next to him. This shows Kharge is Congress president just for the sake of it, and looking at the way he is treated, everyone can see and understand, as to whose hands the remote control is in,” he had said. (PTI)
