THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father.
Chandrasekhar said the Congress had lost its sense of direction.
He also linked the controversy to recent political disputes in Kerala.
In a statement to IANS, Chandrasekhar said, “The Congress party has gone from being ridiculous to extremely ridiculous. As I told you, this is a party that is now losing track of its senses. In Kerala, they will make the Governor’s vegetarianism an issue, so they are running out of issues. Today, you can see that they are losing their mental balance when the national president of the Congress party, who is not a small man but a senior leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, makes such remarks...’”
Chandrasekhar’s remarks came after Kharge triggered a political controversy with his comment about PM Modi’s father at a public event in Patna on Sunday.
The BJP has condemned the Congress president’s remark. The exchange has added to the growing political confrontation between the two parties.
Chandrasekhar also referred to the controversy over the reported instruction concerning vegetarian food at the Governor’s official residence in Kerala.
That issue has triggered a separate political exchange in the state. The BJP leader said the Congress party was running out of issues and was turning controversies into political battles.
Earlier in the day, Chandrasekhar addressed his social media post to Kharge, saying, "To @kharge sir: we understand your frustration - the frustration that the Congress is going nowhere. Every single lie of yours is being exposed by the people. The people are defeating your anarchy, chaos and lawlessness. But let me make it clear: PM @narendramodi ji kahin nahi jayega. Modi ji is not going anywhere."
The Kerala BJP chief said the nation has chosen Viksit Bharat, development, progress, and a government that genuinely resolves people's problems. "It will not be derailed by the political acrobatics, dramas or abuses of the Congress. The blessing of the people powers Modi ji's government," he added.
"My advice: you are a senior leader. Drop this. Stop all this. The country faces numerous challenges. Have the courage to place your actual vision before the public instead of hurling abuses. Abusing Narendra Modi ji will not work. Our determination only grows stronger. We are fully prepared to fight this brand of Congress politics. This toxic political culture must end. It does not benefit the country. Carry on with your dramas, lies and abuse. The Nation and its people stand solidly behind the BJP/NDA," he concluded his X post.
The remarks bring a national political row into Kerala’s political debate. The Congress and the BJP have frequently clashed over the conduct of public office-holders and the role of the Governor.
Chandrasekhar is the Kerala BJP president and one of the party’s three legislators in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.
The BJP remains a small legislative force in the state, though it controls the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.