New Delhi [india], April 7 : Congress MP and General Secretary (Organisation), KC Venugopal, on Tuesday condemned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for insulting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, asking Sarma to apologise.
In a post on X, the Congress MP recognised Sarma's remarks as "problematic" and "deplorable." He alleged that the Assam CM is "rattled" because of the corruption allegations against him.
Condemning Sarma's "language" and rejecting his mindset, Venugopal demanded an "unconditional apology."
"Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma asking "Kaun hai Kharge?" and using street insults like "paagal" is deeply problematic and show how flabbergasted he is. Himanta must apologise for this deplorable conduct, for insulting one of the tallest leaders in our country who hails from the most humble backgrounds," he wrote.
"We all know how rattled he is because of the grave corruption allegations against him, and how he leaves no stone unturned to use the most pathetic language to spread hatred. It is this mindset that we reject and we demand an unconditional apology from him for this statement," he added.
https://x.com/kcvenugopalmp/status/2041508220829884698?s=46
Voicing similar infuriation, Congress MP Manickam Tagore called CM Sarma's remarks "a direct insult to an entire community."
Calling Sarma a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tagore questioned the BJP over their alleged caste prejudice. He demanded an "unconditional apology" from Sarma and called for the BJP's top brass to address the matter.
"Calling a National Opposition Leader & Dalit leader a "madman" is not just a personal attack -- it is a direct insult to an entire community. When Himanta Biswa Sarma, a close aide of @narendramodi ji uses words like "pagal" against a Dalit leader, it reflects a deeply entrenched mindset of disrespect and caste prejudice," Tagore wrote in a post on X.
"Is this how the BJP treats leaders from marginalized communities? Is this the language they reserve for Dalits? This is not an isolated slip of the tongue. It exposes the arrogance of power and the casual normalization of caste-based disrespect. An insult to one Dalit leader is an insult to every Dalit in this country. We demand an unconditional apology. Silence from the top leadership will only confirm complicity. Respect is not optional. It is a constitutional value," he added.
https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/2041507127865626927
This comes after Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma critiqued Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his statement about seeking clarification from the central government and the foreign minister after police raided the Congress leader Pawan Khera's Delhi residence, as the CM's wife filed an FIR against him.
"Are you crazy? If you don't know the truth, then why did you put it? You should have asked earlier...First, you should have asked the foreign minister whether it was right or not and that we have received this allegation," CM Sarma said.
He likened the situation to killing someone and then offering them medicine. "Kharge is old, and you are still talking like a crazy person," he further remarked.
Sarma made the remarks amid heightened tensions over allegations made by Pawan Khera against the Sarma family. Khera had alleged that CM Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds three passports -- from India, the UAE, and Egypt -- and owns undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, along with a company in Wyoming, USA.