A Madhya Pradesh BJP lawmaker on Wednesday added fresh impetus to the row over Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's controversial 'has even your dog died for (the) country' remark, accusing the opposition party's leaders of 'roam(ing) around like 'darbari kutte' of Sonia Gandhi...'. Rameshwar Sharma, the MLA from Bhopal's Huzur seat, said: "... Congress people roam around like 'darbari kutte' of Sonia Gandhi so they view others as the same..."
"The Congress has become used to counting dogs... not men and leaders... do not have respect for patriots. These Congress people roam around like 'darbari kutte' of Sonia Gandhi so they view others as the same... Kharge should understand..." he told news agency ANI.
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{{/usCountry}}On Monday - amid a furious stand-off with the government over Chinese troops incursion this month in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang - Kharge took a jab at the BJP, declaring it 'talks like a lion outside India but is like a mouse within".
READ | 'Has even your dog died for country': Kharge slams BJP on India-China
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar, on the 100th day of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', Kharge said his party had made 'supreme sacrifices' for India's freedom and then - in comments seen by many as particularly crude - asked of the BJP: "Has even your dog died for the country?"
Kharge tore into the government, reminding it of the June 2020 clash in Ladakh's Galwan Valley and questioning prime minister Narendra Modi's silence and continual meetings with China's Xi Jinping.
READ | 'Jawab do, Modi...': Congress slams PM over China's Tawang incursion
A day later a massive row erupted in Parliament with senior BJP leaders, including union ministers Piyush Goyal and Kiren Rijiju, attacking Kharge and demanding an apology.
"I strongly condemn it and demand an apology... The way he used foul language reflected his thinking and jealousy… He may be jealous his party is not being accepted by people (but) use of such foul language is an insult of this House..."
READ | 'Why should I apologise?': Cong leader over Smriti Irani comment
Lawmakers from both sides had to be reprimanded for the squabble; vice president and Rajya Sabha chair Jagdeep Dhankhar admonished them.
READ | '135 cr people laughing…': VP Dhankhar on BJP-Cong spat
Kharge, however, was defiant and would not apologise. "What I had said politically was outside the House and not in the House. There is no need to discuss here," he said.
READ | In 'has your dog...' row: BJP takes on Kharge, Cong chief stays firm
The row over China's border transgressions has led to furious confrontations in the winter session of Parliament, where a united opposition has demanded a discussion on the issue but the government has refused to comply, citing a reluctance to compromise national security.
Congress MP Sonia Gandhi today slammed the BJP for its refusal to debate and the party, joined by other opposition outfits, protested at the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex.
With input from ANI