Following a period of intense political fallout regarding remarks made about the electorate in Gujarat, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has taken to X to issue a formal apology. Seeking to clarify his position, the veteran leader maintained that his words had been taken out of context but expressed sincere regret for any offence caused to the people of Gujarat.
Writing on the social media platform X, Kharge said that certain comments from a recent campaign speech in Kerala were being "deliberately misinterpreted." He went on to affirm that he holds the highest respect for Gujarat and never intended to disparage its citizens.
The controversy originated during a rally in the Idukki district of Kerala, where Kharge praised the local population for their high literacy and discernment. However, he drew a sharp contrast by suggesting that while it might be possible for Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to mislead "illiterate" voters in Gujarat or elsewhere, the people of Kerala were far too clever to be fooled.
These comments sparked immediate and fierce condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Harsh Sanghavi, the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, led the criticism by accusing Kharge of insulting a state that produced iconic figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and which serves as a modern blueprint for national development.
Adding to the pressure, BJP national spokesperson Sudhansu Trivedi questioned the Congress leader’s logic regarding the "intelligence" of the regions he appeared to slight. Trivedi pointedly asked how such a view accounted for the legacy of leaders like Gandhi, Patel, or even members of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty who hailed from Uttar Pradesh and North India. He further alleged that the Congress party was resorting to "divide and rule" tactics as a desperate measure ahead of the Kerala polls.
Also read: Kharge’s ‘illiterate Gujaratis’ remark triggers political storm
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