The Congress hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over his “remote control” jibe at the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge, asserting that it was an attack on all those who came from “oppressed backgrounds” but aim to succeed in life.
Mr. Modi had, at a rally in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, said that Mr. Kharge was “controlled by remote”. “The Congress’ habit of remote [control] is not going away. Earlier, the PM used to be controlled by remote. Now, the Congress president is being operated by remote,” he had said.
Mr. Modi was apparently reacting to Mr. Kharge’s comments at an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, where the latter had referred to various government agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Income Tax Department, along with the PM and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as the “panch pandavas” (five Pandavas) of the BJP.
Taking umbrage over the PM’s remarks, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said that the PM had insulted a “son of the soil, the leader of our [Congress] party, Mallikarjun Kharge”. He said Mr. Modi’s remark was not a “loose political statement”, but a concerted attack on all those who come from oppressed backgrounds and aimed to succeed in public life.
“In reality, PM Modi cannot digest that unlike his party’s fake claims of social justice, it is only the Congress that is capable of democratically throwing up such towering leaders. Mr Kharge’s political journey spanning 6 decades is unprecedented in Indian history and continues to serve as an inspiration to millions,” Mr. Venugopal posted on X.
Congress CWC member Abhishek Manu Singhvi told media persons that the PM now “sees remotes everywhere”. “There is only one place where he cannot see the remote, that is Nagpur, he himself is a campaigner there, he cannot see the remote there,” Mr. Singhvi said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Binoy Biswam too criticised the PM’s remark. “Narendra Modi talks about remote control. It is a strategy to hide the remote controls who dictate him. Adani, Israel, USA and RSS are his remote controls. His policies prove, how powerful those controls are ! Modi government can’t move even an inch beyond their orders,” Mr. Biswam posted on X.
Mr. Venugopal also cited the case of Giriraj Malinga, an MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly who had assaulted a Dalit government employee, and faced charges under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. “The INC (Indian National Congress) took a firm decision to refuse to a ticket to someone accused of such serious crimes. However, immediately after we denied the ticket, the BJP welcomed Malinga with open arms. Such a jubilant welcome shows they have no regard for the rights or safety of Dalits. In fact, it confirms their oppressive, anti-Dalit attitude”, he posted on X.
Mr. Modi had earlier alleged that the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary had skipped a meeting upon the appointment of the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Heeralal Samariya as he was a Dalit.
The party also attacked the BJP government at the Centre on the seventh anniversary of demonetisation.
“Demonetisation was a well thought-out conspiracy to destroy employment, to stop the income of workers, to eliminate small businesses, to harm farmers and to break the unorganised economy. Attack on 99 per cent common Indians, benefit to 1 per cent capitalist ‘Modi friends’. This was a weapon to pick your pocket - to fill the best friend’s bag and make him the second richest person in the world from 609th earlier,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said demonetisation was the “biggest assault on India’s economy and livelihood”.
