Nadda to Kharge: Where was morality when PM was abused 110 times
The BJP on Thursday fielded its president JP Nadda to rebut a letter Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the prime minister highlighting BJP leaders' abuses directed at Rahul Gandhi.
In a strongly worded three-page rebuttal to Kharge, Nadda asked why the Congress chief never mentioned political morality and decorum when his colleagues hurled over "110 abuses at PM Modi".
Nadda went on to list these abuses, including Rahul Gandhi's "thieves" reference for "Modis (who are OBCs) and his mother Sonia Gandhi's "maut ka saudahar" remarks meant for Modi and said, "The so-called products being sold in Rahul Gandhi-led Mohabbat ki Dukaan which solely aims to acquire power are the poison of casteism, seeds of animosity, spices of anti-nationalism, toxins of defamation of India and the sledgehammer of breaking up the nation," Nadda wrote to Kharge, adding: "Hope my letter answers the questions raised by you and your party leader."
In serial swipes at the Congress chief, Nadda described Rahul as a "failed product" asking Kharge "what his compulsion was in repeatedly relaunching a failed product".
"What is your compulsion in defending a person whose history has been of abusing the entire OBC segment as thieves; using unsavoury references for the PM, including speaking of beating him up with sticks?" asked Nadda.
He said Rahul Gandhi's mother Sonia Gandhi used "maut ka saudagar" remarks for the PM and the Congress continued to glorify these shameless remarks.
"Why did the Congress then forget political morality when Rahul Gandhi openly said, ‘We will soil Modi's image.’ I understand it is your compulsion to keep relaunching a failed product but as party president you should introspect," the BJP chief said, adding that India's oldest political party under the pressure of the dynasty has been reduced to a “copy and paste party”.
"The Congress and company have hurled over 110 abuses at PM Modi. Top Congress leaders are involved in this. Why do words like political morality, dignity, discipline, courtesy vanish from your dictionary when the Congress abuses the PM?" Nadda asked, accusing Kharge of double standards.
Listing the slurs Congress leaders used for Modi, Nadda said no other political leader in India's history has been insulted as much as PM Modi.
"And the Congress has rewarded abusers of Modi with top posts. I would need to write a book to cover this topic," said Nadda, asking if these abuses have not shamed India.
Nadda also asked Kharge why the Congress was so proud of Rahul Gandhi.
"Is it because he engages pro-Pakistan and anti-India forces or because he attends pro-terrorist events; because he seeks support from anti- national forces or because he seeks foreign powers to intervene in India's internal democracy; because he deploys caste and reservation politics to divide people at home and speaks of ending reservation when abroad; because he spews venom against peace in Jammu and Kashmir or because he advocates release of terrorists, dialogue and trade with Pakistan and restoration of Article 370; because he calls Hindus even bigger threats than Pakistani terror organisations or because he repeatedly insults Sanatan dharma; because he seeks proof of the valour of armed forces or because he calls courage of soldiers ‘khoon ki dalali’; because he makes controversial statements on turbans and kadas of Sikhs?" Nadda asked.
He also questioned the Congress chief on silence when ‘Pakistan zindabad’ slogans are raised in the events of his colleagues and anti-national forces are glorified.
"If there is any party that has undermined and tainted Indian democracy to the hilt it is the Congress and you know this. Congress imposed emergency in India, supported triple talaq, defamed constitutional bodies and weakened them. You know who said that the first right on the country's resources is of a particular community," Nadda said to Kharge.
Congress responds
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh responding to Nadda's letter wondered why letters written to the PM are responded to by others.
"Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh writes to PM on COVID-19. The Health Minister is asked to reply. Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge writes to PM on the grave threats being hurled at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi by Mr Modi's colleagues. The BJP president is given the task of sending an intemperate and senseless reply," said Ramesh.
He said there was once a PM (read Jawaharlal Nehru) who, for 17 years, replied to each and every official and personal letter sent to him - as over a 100 volumes of his selected works will testify. "But self-proclaimed divinities are different, I suppose," Ramesh said.
