Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (File Photo: PTI)
On Thursday, September 19, the Congress criticised BJP president JP Nadda’s response to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it “intemperate” and “meaningless”. Kharge’s letter raised concerns over “threats” made against Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, criticised Prime Minister Modi and pointed out that there was once a prime minister who replied to all official and personal letters over a span of 17 years.
“Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh writes to non-biological PM about Covid-19. Health Minister gets abusive reply asking him to send his name.”
“Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge writes to the non-biological PM regarding the serious threats directed at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi by Mr Modi’s colleagues. The BJP President is tasked with sending an intemperate and senseless response,” Ramesh commented in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Ramesh further said, “There was once a Prime Minister who, for seventeen years, replied to each and every official and personal letter sent to him, as attested by over 100 volumes of his Selected Works,” referring to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
“But self-proclaimed deities are different, I guess,” he added.
Nadda’s reply to the Congress letter
Ramesh’s comments followed BJP president Nadda’s accusations against Gandhi, alleging that he had a history of insulting Prime Minister Modi and OBCs, while aligning himself with anti-India forces.
In his letter to Kharge, Nadda outlined his party’s grievances, accusing Gandhi and other Congress members of using derogatory language towards the Prime Minister.
“With what compulsion are you trying to defend Rahul Gandhi?” Nadda asked Kharge in a three-page letter written in Hindi. He suggested that Kharge’s letter was motivated by a political need to promote a “failed product” that the public had repeatedly rejected.
Maalikarjun Kharge’s letter to PM Modi
Earlier, Kharge had expressed concern over the “extremely objectionable” and violent comments made by members of the ruling alliance against Rahul Gandhi, and urged the prime minister to rein in their leaders.
In his letter to Modi, Kharge pointed out the need to take strict legal action against those making such statements to prevent further degradation of Indian politics and ensure that no harm comes to Gandhi.
“I want to draw your attention to an issue directly related to democracy and the Constitution. You must be aware of a series of extremely objectionable, violent and offensive statements made against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi,” Kharge wrote.
Violent language against Rahul Gandhi
Kharge lamented the “violent language” used by BJP leaders and their allies, saying it was detrimental to the future of the nation. He specifically pointed to comments made by the Minister of State for Railways and a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, who referred to Gandhi as the “number one terrorist”.
Kharge also highlighted a statement made by an MP from a party allied with the BJP in Maharashtra, who offered a reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who “cuts out the tongue” of Rahul Gandhi. Also, a former BJP MP from Delhi threatened to ensure that Gandhi meets the same fate as his grandmother.
Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Gaikwad had publicly announced a reward for anyone who cut out Gandhi’s tongue in response to his comments on the reservation system.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu had on Sunday said that if the “bomb-making” individuals supported Gandhi, he was the “number one terrorist”. Raghuraj Singh, a minister in the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government, had reportedly made similar comments about Gandhi. Earlier, BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah had also allegedly made “threatening” remarks against Gandhi.
First published: September 19, 2024 | 16:15 IS
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.