‘Modi ka chela’: Cong’s Mallikarjun Kharge belittles Assam Chief Minister, draws comparison with cat

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a sharp jab at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday by referring to him as “Modi ka chela,” which translates to “disciple of Narendra Modi.” 

Kharge further criticised Sarma, suggesting that he harbors fear towards the Dalits, minorities, and backward classes in the country.

Kharge’s comments come amidst a series of allegations and counter-allegations between him and the ruling party. He has accused PM Modi of distorting facts and has vehemently denied ever mentioning Modi’s father in his speeches. 

Furthermore, Kharge has criticized Modi for portraying himself as poor despite his long tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat and subsequently as Prime Minister, suggesting this narrative is a ploy to garner sympathy during elections. 

He also alleges that Modi has an overarching control over various sectors, including ports and airports, and accuses him of privatising public assets and working in the interests of a select few billionaires, thereby pushing the populace towards servitude.

The criticism by Congress chief came after an alleged attack on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by him in Assam. The incident reportedly involved BJP workers targeting the yatra, prompting Rahul Gandhi to condemn the attack.

Kharge said, “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will cross 15 states…The Yatra before this was undertaken from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. At that time, no stone pelting occurred anywhere. No attempts were made to scare off…Why is this happening in Assam? Because he (Assam CM) is the ‘chela’ of PM Modi. He listens to what Shah says. He scares the Dalits, minorities & backward class of the country. By scaring people, he is working on the next election”.

In his address, Kharge used a cat analogy to depict the strained connection between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress, saying, “This is like ‘meri billi mujhse hi meow’ (my cat meows at me). We have seen several such people. We will never be scared and this is Congress’ promise”.

Earlier today, the Congress party alleged that BJP workers manhandled the car of senior leader Jairam Ramesh and camera persons accompanying the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Assam’s Sonitpur district. 

This comes after the party claimed that workers of the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), carried out a targeted attack on vehicles belonging to the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Saturday.

The yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, started in Manipur on January 14 and will conclude in Mumbai in March, covering 6,713 km across 67 days and 110 districts in 15 states. The Assam leg, covering 833 km, is scheduled until January 25.

Also Read: ‘Won’t publicise’: DK Shivakumar on BJP’s demand for holiday on Jan 22 for Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir inauguration