Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a strong attack against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on his alleged lies and inflammatory remarks about President Droupadi Murmu and ex-President Ram Nath Kovind.
The BJP leadership accused Kharge of mispronouncing the names of both leaders — referring to President Murmu as "Murma ji" and former President Kovind as "Covid ji" — in a similar vein alongside accusing them of land grabbing.
The BJP has condemned these statements in strong words, calling them not only insulting to the people concerned but also to the broader Dalit and tribal communities to which they belong.
Reacting to the row, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma raised eyebrows, saying, "I have not heard this. If anybody has made this statement, then what does that imply? She is a woman from the tribal community, whose life-long courage and struggles we all know, read about, and see. To make such a statement about her, what does it mean? It is an error on the part of the tribal community."
Chhattisgarh Minister Vishvas Sarang also joined in, charging the Congress with systemic prejudice. "The Congress party has always insulted the tribal community, but this time it has gone beyond all limits," he said.
Further driving home the seriousness of the supposed insult, Sarang said, "To utter such words regarding our honored President, who occupies the highest constitutional office in the nation, is the most unconstitutional thing one can do. I think the Congress is crossing all limits of decency. To mock an individual who occupies a constitutional position is not only an insult to the person, it is an insult to the whole nation."
BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia associated Kharge's remarks directly with a larger attitude problem in the Congress party. "The Opposition mentality, the Congress Party, where their own leader Rahul Gandhi is seen carrying the Constitution in his hand, it is during their influence that the remote-controlled President, Mallikarjun Kharge, delivers such objectionable statements. Today, the whole nation, all the citizens, the tribal community, Dalits and women are condemning him," claimed Bhatia.
Seconding the view, BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra termed the reported remarks as distressing and inappropriate. "Mallikarjun Kharge is the President of a national party and an old man; such words don't suit him. A dignified Scheduled Tribe woman today is the President of the country. A learned man like Ram Nath Kovind has also been our President. To ridicule such people in this way is highly shameful," he said.
Shehzad Poonawalla, another national spokesperson for the BJP, called the remarks a sign of ingrained discrimination. “Calling Droupadi Murmu ‘Murma ji’ and Kovind ji ‘Covid ji’, and further labelling them as land grabbers, this is not a slip of the tongue, it’s an expression of ingrained prejudice,” he stated.
He added, "The Congress has a history of ridiculing constitutional authorities, be it the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister, or the President."
The BJP's collective condemnation is the party's indication that any insult targeting those holding the highest constitutional offices in the nation — especially one involving individuals belonging to marginalized sections — will not be taken lightly.
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