The home minister of Madhya Pradesh, Narottam Mishra on Tuesday declined to refer to the deaths of Rajiv and Indira Gandhi, both previous prime ministers, as national sacrifices.
Mishra was responding to Mallikarjun Kharge’s “dog” statement, in which he claimed that although Congress leaders had sacrificed their life for the country, “did BJP leaders do the same?” on Monday in Rajasthan and again on Tuesday in parliament. Minister for Madhya Pradesh and BJP leader stated “It ought to be decried. If Karage views the deaths of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi as a sacrifice for the country, he should visit West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura, where dozens of BJP and RSS members have given their lives to preserve the country’s unity.”
Earlier on Monday, Kharge stated “We granted the country its independence, and Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi lost their lives to preserve national unity. What did the BJP (government) do after our party leaders died? Has even one of your dogs given their life for their country? Has anyone given anything up? No.”
The disruption of Parliament on Tuesday came after the BJP attacked the Congress for insulting Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as “Bharat todo (Divide India)” and sought an apology from them for Kahrge’s contentious remarks from the previous day.
At a rally in Alwar, the Congress president said that his party “earned freedom for the country” and that leaders like Rajiv and Indira Gandhi gave their lives in service of the cause.
Kharge also criticised the administration for preventing a debate in parliament about the border dispute with China.
