Addressing a poll rally in Kathua district of Jammu, Mr Kharge had said he will not die until Mr Modi is removed from power and asserted that the Congress will fight for the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress president made this remark after he had to briefly pause his speech as he felt dizzy. He was taken to a hospital after the election rally. Mr Modi had called the Congress president to enquire about his health.
Attacking the Congress president, Mr Shah said Mr Modi had become Prime Minister for a third consecutive term with the people's mandate and not because of the Congress chief’s grace. He also took a jibe at Mr Kharge for his remarks, saying: “As for the health of Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Reacting to Mr Kharge’s remarks, Mr Shah said in a post on X: “Yesterday, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech. In a bitter display of spite, he unnecessarily dragged Mr Modi into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing Mr Modi from power.”
Mr Shah said Mr Kharge's remarks showed how much “hate and fear” the Congress people have of Mr Modi that they are thinking of him “constantly”.
Hitting back, Mr Kharge posted on X in Hindi: “Home minister Amit Shah should pay attention to serious issues like the Manipur, census and caste census. A survey conducted by your own government says that 92 per cent of workers cleaning urban sewers and septic tanks come from SC, ST, and OBC categories. The BJP is against the caste census because then it will be known by which work SC, ST, OBC, EWS and all other classes are earning their livelihood. What is their economic and social status? What kind of targeted benefits of government schemes should they get? The Congress Party is determined to get the caste census done. We will get it done.”
Sharing the views of Mr Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Congress leadership never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards Mr Modi. “Aptly said, home minister Amit Shahji… The leadership of the Congress never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards Narendra Modiji. This speech of Khargeji is one such instance,” she posted on X, adding: “We join in praying for the long life of Congress president Khargeji. We wish he lives to see #Viksit Bharat India @2047.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera said: “When will the BJP understand that the Congress does not hate Mr Modi but loves the country … that’s why we want the nation to be free from PM Modi and his ideology. Around 67 per cent of the country also wants the same who did not vote in favour of him.”
