Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday condemned the "dog" jibe made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the BJP and said that the latter was merely playing the role of "rubber stamp" in the opposition party.
"We strongly condemn the statement made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajasthan yesterday. It's an Italian Congress which is running today. It is being said that he is a rubber stamp president,"Joshi said. "Congress is not original. Mahatma Gandhi had demanded the dissolution of the Congress," the minister said.
The parliamentary affairs minister further said, "Their (Congress) mindset is like this only. They have also said such things for Veer Savarkar and Smriti Irani. I thought Mallikarjun Kharge had some common sense but it has been proven today that he doesn't have it."
The war of words was triggered by Congress president Kharge's dig at the BJP over the India-China border row.
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar, Kharge said that his party's leaders sacrificed their lives for the country and asked whether the BJP's leaders had contributed the same way.
"Did any of your dogs die for the country? Has any family member made any sacrifice? No!," Kharge had said.
Today in parliament BJP demanded an apology from Kharge.
Union Minister and Leader of the Upper House Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha that "He (Kharge) gave us a glimpse of his mindset and jealousy."
"Yesterday, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge gave an indecent speech in Alwar. The language used is unfortunate. I condemn the manner in which he used indecent language, said baseless things... I demand apology from him," Goyal said.
"After independence Gandhi said Congress should be disbanded... Khargeji is a living example of that... and is showing the nation that what Gandhiji said was true... he is a national president who doesn't know how to speak," Goyal said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju speaking to reporters outside Parliament today said: "I can't believe that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge could stoop so low and use such objectionable remarks."
"He should understand his responsibilities as a leader of a political party. We're not enemies, we're rivals. It's distasteful, unfortunate and uncalled for" the union law minister said.
The Congress leader, however, refused to apologise for his remarks stating that he had made the remarks outside the House and there was no need to discuss it in Parliament.
"What i said during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan's Alwar was outside the House. What I said was politically outside the House not inside. There is no need to discuss that here. Secondly, I can still say that they had no role in the freedom struggle."Kharge said in the Rajya Sabha today.
"If I repeat what I said outside, it'll get difficult for them. 'Maafi maangne waale log' are asking people who fought the freedom struggle to apologise...I said Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed themselves. Who among you gave your life for unity of this country?," Kharge said.
Amidst an uproar in Rajya Sabha, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar was seen standing up and admonishing the ruling and Opposition benches and said "we are setting a bad example."
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor