New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday over his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singh alleged that Kharge has repeatedly crossed all limits of political decorum and claimed that the Congress president has become “mentally unwell”.
The remarks came a day after Kharge sparked a controversy with his statement, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, in response to an audience member who said the prime minister would not go anywhere. The incident occurred during an event in Patna, where the Congress president addressed a programme organised to mark the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first chief minister, Shrikrishna Singh.
Responding to Kharge’s statement that the Congress would send those involved in alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to jail, someone in the audience shouted that as long as there was no rebellion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would never go anywhere. Kharge retorted, saying, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega.”
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Singh questioned how someone in such a senior political position could use such language against the prime minister. “The Congress president has repeatedly crossed all limits of decorum, leaving no line that he has not crossed. There can be only two reasons for this: either age is taking its toll on him, or he has become mentally unwell. How can the Congress party president use such language against the prime minister? One cannot even imagine such a thing,” he said.
Referring to the political opposition to former prime minister Indira Gandhi during the 1974 movement, the JD (U) leader said people had fought against her government but had refrained from using derogatory language against her. “Congress leaders have also served as prime ministers of this country. During the 1974 movement, people fought against Indira Gandhi’s rule, but no one used derogatory language against her. What has happened to these people?” he asked.
Singh also criticised the Congress over its repeated attacks on Modi and referred to the controversy surrounding alleged abuse directed at Modi’s mother during a rally in Darbhanga against the SIR. “The Congress party is constantly making such attempts. Rahul Gandhi went to Darbhanga to hold a rally against the SIR, and Modi’s mother was abused there. On one occasion, he called the prime minister a thief. What is this? The Congress party has crossed all limits,” he said.
“There is no longer any sense of propriety left in politics, yet the party wants to rule the country on the strength of such conduct,” the Union minister added. Taking a swipe at the Congress’s electoral performance, Singh said the people are not giving the party a chance to return to power and claimed its political influence is steadily declining.
“The people of this country are great because they are not giving the Congress an opportunity to rule. The party is continuously shrinking. Had the people, by some misfortune, given it an opportunity, Rahul Gandhi would have taken the country to a situation worse than what it experienced during Indira Gandhi’s tenure,” he said.
Referring to Gandhi’s ‘chowkidar chor hai’ remark against Modi, Singh said the Congress leader apologised only after the Supreme Court pulled him up. “When Rahul Gandhi said ‘pradhan sevak chor hai’, he apologised only after the Supreme Court pulled him up,” he said.
Emphasising the need to maintain standards of political discourse, Singh said opposition to the government is legitimate but should not come at the cost of basic propriety. “There is such a thing as decorum in politics, and there are limits to political opposition. One can oppose the government, but that opposition must also have its limits and adhere to certain standards of propriety. The Congress has crossed every boundary,” he said.
Singh also suggested that the Congress president is following Rahul Gandhi’s example in the choice of language. “The Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are complementary to each other. Perhaps the party felt Rahul Gandhi had become a very big leader and, since he used such language, it should do the same. There is no self-control whatsoever,” he said.
Condemning Kharge’s remarks, Singh said the Congress president should apologise for his statement. “The remarks deserve the strongest condemnation, and the Congress president must apologise under all circumstances,” he said. PTI ADI ASD
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