BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, R Ashoka, supported the Election Commission's notice to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding his 'terrorist' comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded Kharge's immediate removal from his position.
The Election Commission of India issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Kharge on Wednesday, requesting an explanation for his controversial statement made during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign.
A BJP protest was held near the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru against Kharge's remarks. The event was attended by State President and MLA B Y Vijayendra, R Ashoka, and other BJP MLAs.
Speaking to ANI, Ashoka labelled Kharge’s statement as ‘illegal’, especially due to its timing during elections. He expressed full support for the Election Commission’s notice, adding that Kharge's remarks demonstrated desperation to obtain a significant role at the state or central level.
Ashoka asserted that the Prime Minister defends the nation against terrorists and accused the Congress Party of supporting terrorists, demanding an apology from the party. He said, ‘The statement is a disgrace to the Congress Party. They are already losing elections across the country, with only three states under their control. This is likely why Mr Kharge is so eager to secure a central ministerial position, or any post, or even the Chief Minister’s role in Karnataka. But that is not going to happen. He was clearly frustrated. In contrast, PM Modi is the one safeguarding our nation from terrorism… The Congress Party in Karnataka supported terrorists involved in the cooker blast and even calls them brothers.’
Ashoka added, ‘This is why we demand that Mr. Kharge be immediately removed from his position as Congress President, and that the party apologise to the nation. If they don’t, we will continue our protests.’
The controversy arose on the final day of Tamil Nadu election campaigning, when Kharge criticised the AIADMK for supporting the BJP and called PM Modi a ‘terrorist who does not believe in equality.’
When questioned about his choice of words, Kharge clarified, ‘He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist…What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands.’
Despite the clarification, the BJP filed a strong complaint with the Election Commission and sought an apology from Kharge over his remarks.