Bengaluru, 26 October

Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday defended his father and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the BJP of double standards as the opposition party staged protests across the country, demanding a public apology.

Mallikarjun Kharge, while addressing a function in Patna to mark the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister Krishna Singh, had retorted to a heckler who said Modi would not go, saying, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega, baap bhi jayega” (Even Modi’s father will have to go).

Priyank said the remark was a retort to the heckler and accused the BJP of making an issue out of it while overlooking statements by its own leaders, including Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and other political leaders.

“These so-called cultured people forget what Modi and Shah have spoken. We don’t need to learn culture from them,” he said, alleging that the BJP was attempting to divert attention from other issues, including questions surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

BJP held protests in Bengaluru, Delhi and other parts of the country, demanding an apology from Mallikarjun Kharge.

In Bengaluru, BJP leaders, including Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, were detained after protesters attempted to march towards Vidhana Soudha. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra accused Kharge of making irresponsible remarks out of frustration over Modi’s third consecutive term and demanded a public apology.

In Delhi, around 200 BJP workers and leaders, including state president Harsh Malhotra, were detained after attempting to march towards Kharge’s residence.