BJP seeks Kharge, Rahul Gandhi's apology over Congress chief's remarks on poll promises

File pic

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded an apology from Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday over their poll promise statement.

According to news agency PTI, Kharge - who is the Congress President - suggested that his party's state units should only make promises that are fiscally doable.

This statement was seen by many as an acknowledgment of the financial constraints that some of its guarantees face in states.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad mockingly questioned whether Kharge had given his first "gyan" to Gandhi, highlighting that the former Congress president often boasts of "khata khat (immediate)" transfers of money to different segments of the population if his party comes to power.

According to PTI, Prasad claimed that Kharge has realised the need for the Congress to avoid making reckless announcements, noting the financial difficulties faced by Congress-run governments in states such as Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh in fulfilling their guarantees. He pointed out that in Himachal Pradesh, Congress ministers were asked to forgo their salaries, and a toilet tax was introduced before being withdrawn amid protests. In Karnataka, the state government is currently reviewing its promise of free bus rides for women, he added.

Criticising the Congress, Prasad remarked on the party's history of fooling voters with false promises, recalling the "Garibi hatao" slogan given by late PM Indira Gandhi during the 1971 polls. He contrasted this with the BJP's approach, asserting that the party makes only those promises guided by "fiscal prudence." He cited the BJP's commitment to transfer Rs 6,000 annually to 11 crore farmers, which PM Narendra Modi has been fulfilling with a "click of a button".

Prasad also spoke about the BJP's initiatives, such as providing free grains to 80 crore people and various welfare measures for women in different states, asserting that these actions have contributed to a reduction in poverty.

"I greet Kharge sahab for realising this wisdom at this age. This should have dawned on him earlier. Please give the first lesson of your confession to Rahul Gandhi," the BJP leader said. He urged Kharge and Gandhi to apologise to the country. The senior BJP leader also took aim at AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, suggesting that he also makes all kinds of announcements.

(With PTI inputs)