Jaipur, Oct 26 — Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has defended Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father, accusing the BJP of selectively invoking political decorum while ignoring its own past controversies.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Gehlot said Kharge had no intention of personally insulting anyone and was well aware of the dignity associated with the office of the Prime Minister.
“Mallikarjun Kharge is one of the most experienced politicians in the country and understands the dignity of the post of Prime Minister. His intention was not to personally insult anyone,” Gehlot said.
Gehlot argued that expressions and idioms referring to family relationships have long been part of everyday Indian speech and are often used figuratively rather than as personal insults.
Citing an instance from Parliament in 2025, Gehlot claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had used the word ‘saala’ during a speech.
He questioned the BJP’s objections to Kharge’s remarks, arguing that colloquial expressions should be understood in their broader context.
Gehlot also questioned the BJP’s criticism of language used by Congress leaders, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign.
He asked why the BJP had not shown the same concern for political decorum at that time, alleging inconsistency in its response to controversial political statements.
The former Chief Minister also raised the issue of an alleged purification ritual performed after Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where the stage was reportedly cleansed by people associated with the RSS and BJP.
Gehlot said the incident had raised serious questions about the treatment of Dalits.
He recalled that the Congress had raised the matter in Parliament and that former BJP national president J.P. Nadda had reportedly promised an investigation.
He questioned whether the findings had been made public and demanded accountability over the matter.
Gehlot further accused the BJP of diverting attention from issues affecting the public. He cited allegations of vote theft and concerns about the impartiality of the Election Commission, including questions raised by the opposition about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He alleged that when the opposition and young people raised concerns about democratic rights, the BJP often questioned their patriotism or linked them to foreign interests instead of addressing their concerns.
Gehlot maintained that the controversy surrounding Kharge’s remarks should be viewed in the context of political discourse and the BJP’s own record on public statements.