NEW DELHI: BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr K Laxman on Monday strongly criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his alleged objectionable remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father in Patna, demanding an unconditional apology.
Speaking to TNIE, Laxman, former national president of the BJP OBC Morcha, said political criticism was natural in a democracy, but personal attacks on the Prime Minister’s family were unacceptable. Leaders holding high public office, he said, must maintain respect, restraint and decorum in their speeches.
Accusing the Congress of resorting to personal attacks because it could not counter Modi’s development and welfare initiatives with facts, Laxman said Kharge’s remarks reflected the party’s frustration over repeated electoral defeats.
He said the comments demonstrated an erosion of political decorum within the Congress and asserted that people who had embraced development-oriented politics under Modi would give the party a befitting reply in the pursuit of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s earlier remarks about the Prime Minister’s caste, Laxman questioned the Congress’s commitment to social justice and its attitude towards the dignity of backward communities.
He accused the party of double standards, saying that while it claimed to champion social justice and the rights of weaker and underprivileged sections, it was criticising the social background of a leader who had risen from an ordinary family to become Prime Minister for political gain.
Laxman demanded that Kharge tender an unconditional apology for the reported remarks about Modi’s late father. He also said the Congress leadership had failed to change its attitude despite a court taking exception to Rahul Gandhi’s earlier remarks concerning the Prime Minister’s caste identity.
Questioning why the Congress was resorting to personal abuse instead of constructive discussions on public issues, development and welfare, Laxman described the attitude of its leaders as arrogant and irresponsible. He said political frustration did not justify the use of insulting language.
He further accused the Congress of undemocratic and unethical practices, alleging that it was resorting to degraded politics out of frustration after the people elected Modi and the BJP-led NDA to power for three consecutive terms, while defeating the Congress and Rahul Gandhi in three consecutive elections and keeping them out of power for 12 years.
“Political differences may exist with the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the dignity of his family should not be insulted. Personal attacks cannot diminish the Prime Minister’s achievements in development, nor can they undermine the self-respect of the OBC community. In a democracy, a leader’s future is determined not by personal abuse, but by the people’s verdict, their trust and their vote,” Laxman said.
Reiterating that political issues should be addressed through facts and constructive arguments rather than personal criticism, Laxman urged Congress leaders to respect democratic values and maintain decorum in public discourse.
He also announced that protest programmes would be organised in Hyderabad and at all district headquarters across Telangana against the Congress party’s attitude.
