BJP holds Patna protest march over Kharge's remark about Modi's father

PATNA — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a protest march in Patna on Monday over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father, PTI reported.

Led by the party’s Bihar unit president Sanjay Saraogi, BJP leaders and supporters held the “Jan Akrosh March” from the party headquarters to the Income Tax Golambar, covering around 300 metres, and burnt an effigy of Kharge, PTI said. During the demonstration, BJP workers raised slogans against Kharge and the Congress.

“Yesterday, all limits were crossed when the platform to celebrate the birth anniversary of Shrikrishna Singh, the architect of modern Bihar, was used to make abusive remarks about the Prime Minister’s late father,” Saraogi said, according to PTI.

He claimed the Congress was facing a “complete rout” in elections and directing its frustration towards Modi by making derogatory remarks about his parents, and demanded that the Congress, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi apologise to the people of the country.

The protest followed Kharge’s remark on Sunday at an event marking the 139th birth anniversary of Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister, when he responded to an audience member who said Modi would not go anywhere by saying “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” — “Even Modi’s father will have to go”. The BJP had announced nationwide protests for Monday, and ANI reported a Patna protest march on the same day, with Congress MP Imran Masood defending Kharge.

Sources: PTI via ThePrint; ANI via Republic World; The Hindu.