New Delhi [India], September 8 : BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for allegedly insulting a grieving farmer in Karnataka's Kalaburagi, accusing him of showing "arrogance" towards someone seeking help.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Prasad said, "A poor farmer, whose crop was destroyed in flood and rain, went to share his pain. But the National President of the Congress Party, Mallikarjun Kharge, said, "Why have you come here? Why are you showing off?... Your four acres of land have been destroyed, but my 40 acres of land have been destroyed... What kind of arrogance is this? The farmer came to you with his pain because Congress is in power in Karnataka. Karnataka is being ruled by a Congress government... Then why do they lie that they stand with farmers?"
The criticism comes after a video of Kharge's interaction with the farmer went viral. Kharge allegedly told the farmer not to approach him just for publicity and compared the grieving farmer's losses to his own, reportedly saying, "Yours may have four acres affected, but mine has 40 acres ruined."
The incident has drawn criticism from the NDA leaders. Union Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy strongly criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of displaying "arrogance and insensitivity" towards a farmer who had approached him with grievances.
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla accused Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge of "disrespecting" farmers, alleging that when a farmer was expressing his grief to Kharge, he allegedly insulted him. The BJP leader alleged that Congress is against the farmers and their interests.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Prasad also took a dig at Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over his absence in flood-affected Punjab and Karnataka. He reminded Gandhi that there were "no breaks" in public life.
He said, "It would have been better if Rahul Gandhi had gone to Karnataka, Punjab... I want to gently remind Rahul Gandhi that there are no breaks in public life. If you are a leader, you have to be available for people's call..."
Earlier, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya accused Rahul Gandhi of going on a "clandestine vacation" to Langkawi, Malaysia, during the Bihar Assembly elections.
In a post on X, Malviya shared a picture of Rahul Gandhi, questioning the timing and purpose of his trip.
"Rahul Gandhi has slipped away yet again--this time on a clandestine vacation in Langkawi, Malaysia. Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar's politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is supposed to know about? Either way, while people struggle with real issues, Rahul Gandhi is busy perfecting the art of disappearing and vacationing," he wrote.