New Delhi, April 22
A delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Wednesday met the Election Commission of India and demanded strict action against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Speaking after the meeting, Sitharaman said the delegation raised concerns over what it described as “condemnable” language used by Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. She said the comments were made during a press conference in Tamil Nadu, which is heading into assembly elections.
Sitharaman described the remark as “outrageous”, arguing that it disrespected the electoral mandate and the democratic process through which leaders are chosen. She also accused the Indian National Congress of making such statements out of political frustration during ongoing election campaigns, including in West Bengal. “We have urged the Commission to take this matter seriously and act firmly,” Sitharaman said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who was part of the delegation, echoed the demand, calling the remark “disgusting” and saying the party had sought the “strictest action”. He added that the BJP had also asked the Commission to direct Kharge and the Congress to apologise.
