JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged a protest at Dogra Chowk in Jammu, condemning alleged offensive remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father.
The protest followed Kharge’s reported statement at an event in Patna on Sunday, in which he allegedly said, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” triggering a strong backlash from BJP leaders.
Led by BJP MLA and national vice-president of the party’s youth wing, Shagun Parihar, and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Jammu and Kashmir president Arun Prabhat, hundreds of party workers and leaders took out a rally through Dogra Chowk, raising slogans against the Congress leadership.
The protesters burnt posters of Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi before staging a brief sit-in on the road.
Addressing reporters, Parihar said the remarks were not merely an attack on the Prime Minister’s late father but also an affront to the dignity of deceased elders. She questioned how the Congress could expect respect for ordinary citizens’ families if it failed to show respect towards the Prime Minister’s family.
Parihar said Modi had dedicated himself to serving the nation and working in the national interest, adding that remarks targeting his late father were unacceptable. She also accused the Congress of undermining the dignity of democratic and constitutional institutions, including the judiciary, the Election Commission of India and the Office of the Prime Minister.
Arun Prabhat said the Congress had crossed the limits of political discourse with the reported remarks. He asserted that the alleged disrespect shown towards the Prime Minister’s family would invite a strong response from the public.
Prabhat further alleged that the Congress was making such statements out of political frustration and would face public resentment over the controversy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also criticised Kharge’s reported remarks, saying they had violated established standards of political decorum.
Meanwhile, protests and demonstrations over the issue were also reported from Samba, Kathua, Poonch, Udhampur, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and Reasi districts, indicating a wider mobilisation by BJP workers across Jammu and Kashmir.
