NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP leaders for using divisive language of ‘katenge’, ‘batenge’, and ‘chhatenge’ adding that it was the saffron party which was dividing the country in the name of “caste and religion.”
In a veiled comment on Yogi Adityanath, Kharge suggested that “on the one hand, you wear ‘gerua’ clothes and on the other hand, you say ‘batoge toh katogey’.”
The comments came after PM Modi’s attack on the grand old party of pitting underprivileged castes against each other. Responding to this, Kharge said, “You (BJP) divide the country in the name of caste and religion. We don’t do it. We are trying to unite the people, and (former PM) Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life for this cause.”
“If there is any threat to the country, then it is from RSS and BJP. If there is any threat to the safety of the country, then it is from Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. They start talking about ‘katenge’, ‘Batenge’, and ‘Chhatenge’ from the time they wake up in the morning,” he said.
“Many leaders live in the guise of sadhus and have now become politicians. Some have even become chief ministers. They wear ‘gerua’ clothes and have no hair on their heads…I would say to the BJP, either wear white clothes or if you are a sanyasi or wear ‘gerua’ clothes, then get out of politics. On the one hand, you wear ‘gerua’ clothes and on the other hand, you say ‘batoge toh katogey’…They are spreading hatred among the people and trying to divide them,” he added.
Earlier today, PM Modi had said: “Congress has always been strongly opposed to the unity of SC/ST/OBC. After independence, as long as the SC society remained scattered, the ST society remained scattered, the OBC society remained scattered, the Congress continued to comfortably form governments at the Centre. But as soon as this community united… Congress again could not form its government at the Centre with absolute majority.”
