Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday condemned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, calling the language used “utterly shameful and unacceptable”, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify whether he endorses the “insult”.
The controversy arose after Sarma criticised Kharge, saying he was “speaking like a mad man” due to old age, in response to the latter’s demand for central agencies to probe allegations against the Assam Chief Minister.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, “The kind of abusive and derogatory language used by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, is utterly shameful and unacceptable.”
She added that harge is among the country’s most senior leaders and represents not only the Congress but also Dalits and marginalised communities. “By insulting him, the BJP chief minister has insulted crores of people across the country,” she said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify to the nation: does he endorse this insult directed at crores of Indians?” she added.
The Congress had earlier demanded an unconditional apology from Sarma, terming his remarks “deplorable” and reflective of an “anti-Dalit mindset”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Assam Chief Minister, calling the remarks “entirely condemnable, shameful, and unacceptable”. He said the comments amounted to an insult to the SC/ST community and questioned the Prime Minister’s silence.
“If the prime minister sees an attack on the dignity of crores of Dalits in the country and does not speak up - he is not only shirking his responsibility, but is also a party to that insult,” he said.
Posing a direct question to the Prime Minister, Gandhi added, “Do you support Himanta Sarma's use of this language? Your silence is not helplessness, it is consent.”
(With inputs from PTI)