BHOPAL: BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Monday termed Congress veteran Kamal Nath as mentally impoverished for his controversial remarks against Madhya Pradesh Minister Imarti Devi.
Addressing a campaign meeting recently for the November 3 byelection in Gwalior's Dabra town, where the BJP has fielded Imarti Devi, Nath said the Congress candidate was a "simple person" unlike his opponent who was an "item".
The comments of Nath, who is the Madhya Pradesh Congress president, against the BJP minister had created a furore and invited a wave of criticism.
The former chief minister later expressed regret over the comments. Kamal Nath is a wealthy person. But he is mentally impoverished.
When a person is mentally impoverished, his words become the same, Vijayvargiya told reporters here on Monday when asked about Naths remarks.
He said, "The manner in which Kamal Nath has shown poorness of words has tarnished Madhya Pradesh's political reputation."
Vijayvargiya claimed that the national and regional leadership of the Congress had lost the confidence of its cadres as its MLAs from Madhya Pradesh continued to join the BJP.
On Sunday, Congress MLA from Damoh Rahul Lodhi joined the BJP after resigning from the assembly, becoming the latest opposition party legislator to switch sides.
"Even now many people, especially young leaders, want to leave the Congress and join the BJP because they are feeling insecure in the Congress as far their political future is concerned," Vijayvargiya claimed.
Denying Congress allegations of horse-trading against the BJP, he said, "They (Congress leaders) are not able to handle their MLAs themselves. In such a scenario, they should not accuse others."
The BJP general secretary said, "If Congress leaders are saying that their workers are being sold, then they are insulting their workers."
He alleged that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is insulting the brave Indian soldiers by making irresponsible statements about the India-China border dispute.