BJP seeks apology from Kharge over Modi remarks

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The BJP staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shimla against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s reported remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father. The protest saw a scuffle between BJP workers and the police after demonstrators attempted to burn an effigy of Kharge. The police prevented the effigy from being burnt, following which BJP workers burnt a handkerchief to register their protest and demanded a public apology from Kharge.

Rajya Sabha MP Sikander Kumar, who attended the protest, accused the Congress of crossing the limits of public discourse and misleading people. He said the BJP strongly condemned the language allegedly used by Kharge against the Prime Minister’s late father, calling it contrary to Indian culture and values.

Kumar alleged that Congress leaders were attempting to mislead the public on issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Constitution. He called on Congress leaders to stop using such language against the Prime Minister and his family, warning that the BJP would hold protests across the country if such remarks continued.

Reacting to the Congress’s proposed November 1 rally in Delhi against alleged vote theft, Kumar questioned the party’s allegations. He said the revision of electoral rolls under SIR was not a new process and had been carried out several times since Independence, including during Congress governments.

Kumar also referred to historical political events involving Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi’s election-related case and Dr BR Ambedkar’s election while accusing the Congress of vote theft.

He said every Indian citizen aged 18 or above was eligible to register to vote. If a person moved from Shimla to Delhi, their voter registration could be transferred, but one person could not have votes registered in two places. He added that the names of deceased persons should not remain on electoral rolls.

Kumar claimed that the Congress had approached the courts over SIR but had not received relief. He also defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar against Congress criticism.