Jaipur, Oct 26 Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday defended Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his alleged controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that Kharge did not intend to insult anyone personally.
He said the BJP is raising an unnecessary hue and cry over a commonly used Hindi expression.
In a post on X, Gehlot said Kharge is one of the most experienced politicians in the country and understood the dignity of the prime minister’s office.
“Kharge never intended to personally insult anyone. He is one of India’s most experienced politicians and understands the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister. His intention can never be to undermine that dignity,” he said.
Gehlot said expressions such as “Nani yaad dila dena” and “Baap ki jagir samajhna” were commonly used Hindi idioms and should not be treated as personal insults.
He also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s use of the word “saala” during a speech in Parliament in 2025, saying such expressions were often used figuratively in everyday conversation.
“Such expressions are not meant as personal remarks but are used figuratively to convey emotions. What Kharge said yesterday was also in the same vein of everyday conversational language. Therefore, the BJP has no moral right to create a ruckus over this issue,” Gehlot said.
The former chief minister questioned the BJP’s criticism of Kharge and referred to Modi’s remarks about former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign.
In 2019, during a campaign speech in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh, Modi had told Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, “Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as Bhrashtachari (corrupt) No 1”.
Gehlot’s remarks came amid protests held by BJP workers in Jaipur and across other parts of the country against Kharge’s remarks at an event in Patna on Sunday.
Speaking at an event to mark the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first chief minister Krishna Singh, Kharge said the Congress would send to jail those involved in alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
When a member of the audience shouted that Prime Minister Modi would not go, Kharge retorted, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega, baap bhi jayega (Even Modi’s father would go).”
In his X post, Gehlot also pointed to an alleged purification ritual performed by people associated with the RSS-BJP at the venue where Kharge addressed a public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. He asked whether the inquiry promised by BJP leader J P Nadda into the incident has been completed.
The former chief minister alleged that the BJP was raising the controversy to divert public attention from issues concerning democracy and the Election Commission’s functioning.
He accused the BJP of avoiding questions about “vote theft” and the impartiality of the Election Commission.
The Congress, young people and other opposition parties have repeatedly questioned the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar but have not received satisfactory answers, Gehlot said, accusing the BJP of questioning the patriotism of those raising concerns about democratic rights instead of addressing their allegations.
(PTI News)
