Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: BJP not 'saanp' but 'saaf', Sambit Patra hits back at Kharge's 'poisonous snake' remark

Kharge's remarks, who is the Congress President, came while addressing an election rally in the Sangli district.

Mumbai: In what sparked off a political row between the Congress and BJP on the last day of campaigning for Maharashtra polls, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge likened the BJP and its ideological fountainhead RSS to a “poisonous snake” leading to severe attacks from the saffron party.

In a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Kharge has said…why should I stay behind, I will also call them snakes. But BJP is not a (saanp) snake, BJP is (saaf) clean . You called us snakes, talked about crushing us...Talking about crushing the BJP like a snake reflects your Emergency era mentality.”

The remarks of Kharge, who is the Congress President, came while addressing an election rally in the Sangli district.

"If there is anything politically most dangerous in India, it is the BJP and the RSS. They are like poison…if a snake bites, the person dies…such a poisonous snake should be killed,” said Kharge, a former union minister.

In his address, Kharge slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their narratives like ‘ek hai toh safe bai’ and ‘batange toh katange’.

“I don't know what happened to them. In Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, a hospital fire killed 10 children, but their rallies in Maharashtra continued,” Kharge said.

“Modi was here till yesterday, and today he is abroad. Manipur is burning, people are dying, tribal women are being dishonored, and women are being raped, yet Modi never went there. He is on a foreign trip. Take care of your home first. Strengthen the country first. You can travel anywhere later,” said Kharge.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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