Apologise for barb against Rahul: Congress to Kateel

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, who retracted an “uncivil” tweet made by his party on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, has demanded an apology from his BJP counterpart Nalin Kumar Kateel for calling former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi a “drug addict and peddler”.

While speaking at an event in Hubballi, Kateel claimed his remarks on Rahul were based on media reports.

“According to some media reports, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a drug addict and drug peddler. Both national and state presidents of the Congress are out on bail. How can those, who cannot run the party, run the country?” said Kateel.

The Congress threatened to file a defamation case against Kateel and its leaders demanded his sacking

“Yesterday I said I believe we should be civil and respectful in politics, even to our opponents. I hope the BJP agrees with me, and will apologise for their state president’s abusive and unparliamentary remarks against Shri Rahul Gandhi,” Shivakumar said in a tweet.

Youth Congress national president B V Srinivas said in Delhi Congress workers will hold a massive protest against the BJP. “Why is Kateel silent on burning issues like job loss due to Covid-19 and price rise in state,” Srinivas questioned.

Kateel’s remarks came as an apparent strike against Congress for calling Modi “#HebbettuGiraakiModi” that translates into the Hindi expression “angootha chhaap” for an illiterate person.

Shivakumar regretted the tweet and said it was posted by a “novice social media manager”.

Referring to the tweet on Modi, Kateel said the Congress had gone bankrupt intellectually and it has lost respect to the Constitution too. Congress leaders themselves do not know who their chief is.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, Siddaramaiah worked for ‘Saabrka (Muslims) Saath, Saabrka Vikas’, Kateel remarked.

Meanwhile, condemning Kateel’s statement, AICC general secretary Dinesh Gundu Rao demanded that BJP remove Kateel from the post. “Being a party president, he should not make such baseless statements and stoop to this level. It is shameful that a person with such a mentality is the state president of a national party,” Rao said, calling Kateel “senseless” and as someone who had lost his “mental balance”.

Lashing out at the ruling party, Rao further alleged that BJP was a corrupt party both financially and morally. “They have no principles. They take God’s name for ulterior political motives,” he said.

He urged Chief Minister Bommai to take control of what his party leaders were speaking.