'I apologise, it was about govt policies': Kharge after row in Rajya Sabha

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge apologised in Rajya Sabha, clarifying that his remark was about government policies, after BJP objected to a 'derogatory' term used in his speech

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday — asserting that his party was fully prepared to hold the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party accountable — sparked controversy after BJP MPs objected to a particular term they claimed was ‘derogatory’ toward the Chair.  

 

BJP President and Leader of the House JP Nadda strongly criticised Kharge’s remarks, calling them “unpardonable”. He demanded an apology and urged that the term be removed from the records. “... he should apologise and the word should be expunged,” Nadda said.  

Kharge issues apology

Kharge responded immediately, offering an apology and withdrawing the remark, which in Hindi loosely translates to ‘nailing’ someone. “I am sorry. I was not speaking about you (the Chair)... it was about government policies. I am sorry if you were hurt by my remarks. I apologise," the Congress president said.

 

This exchange followed heated confrontations on Monday, when a dispute erupted between the central government and Tamil Nadu over delimitation and concerns about Hindi being imposed through the three-language formula in the new education policy.   

Following this, BJP leaders faced criticism for using what was deemed inappropriate language.

MK Stalin’s response

Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) reacted strongly to remarks made by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who had accused the state of being ‘dishonest’. Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned Pradhan’s comments, calling them ‘arrogant’ and accusing him of behaving like a king.  

 

Pradhan’s statement prompted protests from DMK MPs both inside and outside Parliament. Senior DMK leader K Kanimozhi later submitted a privilege motion against the minister.  

 

During his address in the Rajya Sabha today, Kharge referenced Pradhan’s remarks, denouncing both the minister and the BJP-led government for “hurting the self-respect of the people of a section of the country...”  

 

“They are talking about dividing the country... about breaking the country,” Kharge said, demanding Pradhan’s resignation. Referring to him as “minister in the Modi government”, the Congress chief, whose party is allied with the DMK, described Pradhan’s remarks as “unacceptable” and accused him of showing “blatant disregard for the dignity and rights of the Tamil people”.

 

Delimitation debate and language row

Delimitation and concerns over Hindi’s role in education have dominated discussions in the ongoing second half of the Budget session. The DMK has strongly opposed the proposed changes, calling delimitation “a blatant assault on federalism” and dismissing the language policy as the work of “entitled bigots”. However, the central government has rejected both claims.

 

Last week in Tamil Nadu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that the state would not lose any parliamentary seats due to delimitation, which involves redrawing constituency boundaries.

 

Chief Minister Stalin pointed out that while Shah had stated that southern states would not lose seats, he did not clarify whether northern states would gain additional ones.  

 

Stalin also strongly criticised Pradhan over the Hindi issue, accusing him of ‘blackmail’ by allegedly threatening to withhold funds if the education policy was not fully implemented.

 

(With agency inputs)