New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's "old man" and "madman" jibe at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday attracted widespread condemnation from party leaders, who said it was "disgraceful beyond any limit" and revealed BJP's "anti-Dalit" mindset.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the "use of vulgar and derogatory language" by Sarma against Kharge was "entirely condemnable, shameful, and unacceptable" and asked a "direct question" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he supported Sarma's use of language.
He said Modi's silence is "not helplessness" but "consent" and added that if the Prime Minister sees an attack on the dignity of crores of Dalits in the country and does not speak up, he is not only "shirking his responsibility but is also a party to that insult".
"Kharge-ji is a senior and popular Dalit leader of the country - his experience, stature, and prestige are unparalleled. Insulting him is not an insult to one individual alone, but also to crores of people from the SC-ST community in this country. But this is nothing new - it is the old and premeditated mindset of BJP-RSS," Rahul said on 'X'.
"Whether it is the insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar, belittling Dalit leaders, or personal attacks on representatives of the SC-ST community - the history of BJP and RSS bears witness that whenever a Dalit leader speaks the truth, they stoop to humiliating him. This is their ideology, this is their true character and face," he said.
Sarma had targeted Kharge after the Congress president batted for party Media and Publicity Department head Pawan Khera who levelled allegations against the BJP Chief Minister and his wife. Sarma said, "Being old, Kharge speaks like a madman...Who the hell is Kharge?" he told reporters while responding to Kharge's remarks.
'Doesn't deserve to be Congress chief': BJP on Mallikarjun Kharge's remark on GujaratisCondemning the remarks, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal demanded Sarma's "unconditional apology" for asking "Kaun hai Kharge? (Who is Kharge)" and using insults like "pagal" (mad), saying it "is deeply problematic and shows 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. 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...," he said.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh alleged that it is "well known" that the "outgoing" Assam Chief Minister knows no dignity or restraint in language, leave alone action.
"His abuse of Mallikarjun Kharge-ji -- the Congress President and the most powerful symbol of social empowerment made possible by the Constitution of India -- is disgraceful beyond any limit and reveals not only his mental sickness but also the dalit-virodhi mindset of the BJP. What the outgoing Assam CM has said about Rahul Gandhi is also most despicable. They deserve the utmost condemnation," he said.
'Sonia Gandhi wanted me as Assam CM in 2014, Rahul Gandhi blocked it,' claims Himanta Biswa SarmaCongress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore said remarks of Sarma, a "close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi", were "not just a personal attack" but a "direct insult" to Dalits and reflected a "deeply entrenched mindset of disrespect and caste prejudice".
"Is this how the BJP treats leaders from marginalised 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," he said.
Demanding an unconditional apology from Sarma, he said silence from the top BJP leadership will only confirm complicity. "Respect is not optional. It is a constitutional value," he said.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah also took to X to attack Sarma.
"Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma insulting Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, one of the tallest Dalit leaders, in such derogatory terms is not just an attack on an individual - it is an insult to the entire Dalit community," he said.
"Such remarks reflect a deeply regressive mindset - rooted in the BJP-RSS's Manuvadi thought and bigotry. It appears he has lost his balance - driven by fear of defeat in the upcoming elections and the prospect of facing jail in corruption cases, as made clear by Shri Rahul Gandhi.
Demanding an apology from Sarma, Siddaramaiah also asked, "Why is Narendra Modi silent?"