Kharge's effigy burned in Ballia over remark on former PM Chandra Shekhar

Ballia, Uttar Pradesh: Supporters of Chandra Shekhar on Tuesday burned an effigy of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks on the late prime minister.

The angry protesters, several of them BJP members, also demanded Kharge's dismissal from the Rajya Sabha.

Chandra Shekhar, whose family also condemned Kharge's remark, was born in Ibrahimpatti village of Ballia district and represented the Ballia parliamentary seat eight times in the Lok Sabha.

Originally a Congress leader, Chandra Shekhar became a prime minister in November 1990 from Janata Party with the support of Congress. His government fell soon after though.

Kotwali Police Station SHO Yogendra Bahadur Singh told PTI that people angry with Kharge's remarks burned his effigy at TD College Chauraha of the district headquarters.

During a discussion in Rajya Sabha on Monday, as Kharge was speaking, BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar intervened and made some remarks, to which the Leader of Opposition shot back, saying he was a "friend of his father," former prime minister Chandra Shekhar.

He told Neeraj Shekhar to sit down, which led to an uproar from the treasury benches Chairman Dhankhar called Chandra Shekhar one of the tallest leaders of the country, and urged all sides to calm down, as he urged Kharge to withdraw his remarks.

Kharge responded by saying he worked with Chandra Shekhar and called him a comrade.

"I don't insult anyone; I have worked with Chandra Shekhar ji..." Kharge said.

His remarks, however, reverberated on a wrong note in his home district, where Chandra Shekhar's sympathisers accused Kharge of committing "an unpardonable crime" by using "indecent and unruly words about such a great personality."

The speakers at the protest witnessed the presence of several BJP office bearers and former president of TD College students' union Arun Singh and Raghav Singh, and district panchayat members Manvendra Vikram Singh and Santosh Pandey.

An effigy of Kharge was burned in Raniganj town too.

Ballia Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh told PTI that no FIR had been registered in the matter.

Chandra Shekhar's grandson and BJP MLC Ravi Shankar Singh Pappu in a post on social media denounced Kharge over his statement.

"The way Shri Kharge ji misbehaved with MP Shri Neeraj Shekhar ji (Chandrashekhar's son) in the House shows his feudal mentality. The downfall of Congress has happened only because of his thinking and arrogant ideology," Pappu said.

"Congress party's yuvraj Shri Rahul Gandhi should answer why his party's president behaved in this reprehensible way in reference to Late Chandrashekhar ji," he added.