BJP resorting to politics of poaching in Karnataka: Congress

Vartha Bharati | 09-07-2019 | 13:55:00 IST

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday staged a walkout in Lok Sabha after accusing the BJP of indulging in "politics of poaching" in Karnataka, a charge denied by the ruling party at the Centre.

The Congress tried to raise the issue in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, but was disallowed by Speaker Om Birla, who said the matter was discussed in the House on Monday with a response from Deputy Leader of House Rajnath Singh.

Birla said the Congress had given an adjournment motion to discuss the Karnataka issue, which he has disallowed.

With the Speaker refusing to relent, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said the BJP was targeting the Karnataka government, which is on a brink of collapse after the Congress, JD(S) and some independent MLAs tendered their resignations.

Hitting back, Singh said the Karnataka issue was an internal matter of the Congress. "The Congress cannot get its House in order and is disrupting the Lower House," Singh said. Prior to that Congress members also entered the Well and raised slogans. Congress members accused the ruling party of throttling democracy.

Chowdhury said, "The politics of poaching should be stopped. The politics of targeting should be stopped. Today it is Karnataka and tomorrow it will be Madhya Pradesh," Chowdhury said.

"You (the ruling party) say you have no role in (destabilising government) in Karnataka. But when an MLA comes out of Raj Bhavan, there is a car ready for him, when he is at the airport, there is an aircraft ready for him....

"The politics of poaching and targeting must be stopped," an exasperated Chowdhury said and staged a walkout.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also walked out and were followed by DMK members. BSP MP Danish Ali also accused the government of "murdering" democracy.

Ali, a former member of the JD(S), was instrumental in forging a post poll alliance with the Congress in Karnataka.

The year-old Congress-Janata Dal (S) coalition government in Karnataka is on the brink of collapse after a spate of resignations by MLAs.

So far 14 MLAs have resigned in Karnataka, which includes 11 from the Congress and three from the JD(S).If accepted, the coalition government's strength in the assembly would be reduced to 102 minus the Speaker against the halfway mark of 113.

The BJP's strength as of now stands at 107.

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Kharge expresses regret over 'illiterate' remark, says he has highest of respect for Gujaratis

08-04-2026 ¦ 08-04-2026 IST

Photo: Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI)

New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his controversial statement calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate", and said he has always had and will continue to have the highest of respect for the people of the state.

In a post on X, the Congress president said, "Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret.

"It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect."

Kharge on Sunday had sparked a row during his Assembly poll campaign in Kerala, calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate" and claiming they were being "fooled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the same time, Kharge said neither Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could fool the people of Kerala, describing them as "very clever and educated".

"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," the Congress chief had said.

He made the remark while alleging that both Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference between them except the parties they lead.

The BJP on Tuesday had demanded an apology from Kharge for his remarks, saying that the comment was "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable."

Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge's statement.