Congress’s DK Shivakumar has condemned PM Modi’s ‘rubber stamp’ remarks on party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
Bengaluru,UPDATED: Mar 1, 2023 23:02 IST
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar condemned the insult of a Dalit leader holding a top position (Photo: PTI | File)
By Sagay Raj: Hitting out at the BJP, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said calling party chief Mallikarjun Kharge a “rubber stamp president” is an “insult of a Dalit leader holding a top position”.
His response comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi, had accused the Congress of insulting the veteran leader and reducing him to a remote-control party chief.
“Mallikarjun Kharge is in a position which was held by Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Jagjeevan Ram, and Rajeev Gandhi. A Dalit leader was insulted at the national level by saying he was being used as a rubber stamp. I condemn this,” Shivakumar said.
PM Modi on Monday said that Kharge was insulted and disrespected by the Congress “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,” PM Modi said.
He further said that 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 legislative 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 an 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 whose hands the remote control is in,” he added.
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