‘Congress, listen carefully…’: PM on Mallikarjun Kharge’s J&K ‘relevance’ comments

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public meeting in Nawada, Bihar on Sunday

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit back at Congress chief Mallikarjun Haq’s remarks on revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Mr Haq hit back at the issue of scrapping Jammu and Kashmir’s special status at a political event in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

“Arre bhai, yahan ke logon se kya wasta hai (What does this have to do with the people here)?” Mr. Haq was responding to a question. He also mistakenly quoted Article 371 instead of Article 370, which Congress later admitted was a slip of the tongue.

Referring to Mr Haq’s comments, Prime Minister Modi today asked the Congress president why he considered the Jammu and Kashmir issue irrelevant.

“Congress National President – this is not a small post – said what is the use of talking about Article 370 after coming to Rajasthan? I feel ashamed to hear this. Isn’t Jammu and Kashmir a part of India?” Mo Prime Minister Dee said at an election rally in Nawada, Bihar.

“Congress should listen carefully. Many young and brave people from Bihar have made huge sacrifices for their motherland. How many young people have returned home draped in the national flag and worked to save Jammu and Kashmir?” PM Modi said.

Our PM @narendramodi response @INCIndia “tukde-tukde” gang leader @kharge About Kashmir! pic.twitter.com/9yWXUoNQWZ

— Neetu Garg (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NeetuGarg6) April 7, 2024

“In Rajasthan, many brave young men have returned draped in the national flag after making the supreme sacrifice in defense of Jammu and Kashmir,” PM Modi said. “Now they say one corner of the country is different from the other. What’s the deal? This is the language of the tukde-tukde gang. Can you forgive people like this?” the Prime Minister asked the crowd, who loudly replied: “No”.

“Tukde-tukde gang” is a term often used by right-wing parties to criticize left-wing support groups and their supporters. It was coined after anti-national slogans were raised at an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.

Home Minister Amit Shah also said it was “shameful” to hear Mr Haq’s remarks. He reminded the House that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and every state and citizen has rights over it just like the people of Union Territories have rights over other parts of the country.

In Nawada, where Prime Minister Modi held a rally, the Bharatiya Janata Party fielded Vivek Thakur, the party’s member of the Lok Sabha and son of former Union minister CP Thakur.

The first phase of voting will be held on April 19 in Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad and Jamui Lok Sabha constituencies.

According to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement in the Bihar Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will contest 17 seats and its ally Janata Dal (United Party) or JD(U) will contest 16 seats. The Lok Sabha Party (Ram Vilas) will contest from five Lok Sabha seats.

Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustan Avatam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RLSP) will have one seat each.