New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday led a BJP frontal attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks that he won’t die before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed, inviting a sharp retort from the opposition party which asked Shah to focus on the Manipur situation and caste census.
At a rally in Jasrota in Jammu on Sunday, Kharge suddenly felt dizzy in the middle of his speech. But he resumed his address soon, and said, “I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power,” Shah responded to the remarks through a social media post on Monday.
“Yesterday, the Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech,” he posted on X.
“In a bitter display of spite, he unnecessarily dragged PM Modi into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing PM Modi from power,” Shah wrote.
He said Kharge’s remarks showed how much hatred and fear the Congress members have for PM Modi and that they are constantly thinking of him.
“As for the health of Mr. Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” the home minister said.
The Congress hit back at Shah, saying he should focus on serious issues, such as the situation in Manipur and a caste census.
In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, “Home Minister Amit Shah should focus on serious issues like Manipur, census and caste census.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took a jibe at Kharge’s remarks, saying he prays that the Congress president lives for 125 years as Modi will continue to remain the PM for a long time.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Nirmala said the Congress leadership never loses any opportunity to display their hatred towards Modi.
“This speech of Khargeji is one such instance,” she said, adding, “We join in praying for the long life of Congress president Khargeji. We wish he lives to see #Viksit Bharat India @2047.” BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain hit out at Kharge and said Modi has become prime minister for the third consecutive term with the blessings of the people of the country.
“Is it by your grace that Modiji has become the prime minister? He has become PM because the people of the country have given a clear mandate to his government for a third consecutive term,” the former Union minister told PTI Videos.
Asked about Shah’s attack on Kharge, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “In his election speech, Kharge said ‘I am not going to retire till I see the exit of the prime minister’, which is a perfect political statement to make. The non-biological prime minister and this self-declared Chanakya (Shah) have made disgraceful statements and they are now accusing Kharge.” “There is nothing wrong about Kharge’s statement. This is a deliberate distortion, a deliberate and malicious twist (to the Congress chief’s remarks). If I start recounting all the nonsense spouted by the prime minister on the Congress and its leaders, I can go on and on,” Ramesh said.
The home minister should talk about the situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur and the caste census, he said.
“He should talk about whether he is in favour of removing the 50-per cent cap on reservation for SCs, STs and OBC. He should say whether his government is going to support a law that will bring reservation for SCs, STs and OBC in private institutions as mandated in Article 55 of the Constitution, which was introduced by the Uttar Pradesh government when Arjun Singh was the human resource development minister,” Ramesh said.
These are the issues that the home minister should be talking about, he added.
Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also hit out at Shah over his attack on Kharge.
“What Amit Shah has said in his tweet is wrong — that we hate Narendra Modi. We do not hate Narendra Modi but we love our country and hence, we want to make India free from his rule. It is our intention and aim,” Khera said.
AICC Secretary and communications in-charge in the Congress president’s office Pranav Jha also hit back at Home Minister Shah, saying he was being unfair in blaming Kharge for “unnecessarily dragging the PM” into anything personal.
“You can blame him and Congress Party for dragging BJP into inevitable defeats in J&K, Haryana, Maharashtra & Jharkhand elections. People have had enough of dog whistling and name calling. The people want their jobs & peace. They want the BJP & your government out,” Jha said.
“It’s deplorable that you chose to twist an essentially political and valid statement by Congress President Kharge to link it with his health. The PM’s pointless spite against the Congress Party is well known & is so visible of late,” he said.
“And thank you for your good wishes for CP. He would indeed be a proud witness to Viksit Bharat at 2047 shaped and governed by the Congress,” Jha added. PTI ACB PK ASK ASK TIR TIR
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