Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi (Photo source: IANS)
New Delhi, October 26 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders on Monday criticised the remarks made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during a programme in Patna, even as they questioned the standards of political discourse and called for greater restraint in the language used by political leaders.
The controversy erupted following Kharge's address at a Congress event in Patna on Sunday, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Bihar's first Chief Minister, Sri Krishna Singh. During the programme, a person in the audience reportedly interrupted Kharge, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not leave power.
Responding to the interruption, Kharge said, "Modi ka baap bhi jayega" (Even Modi's father will have to go). The Congress President reportedly repeated the remark several times, triggering a political controversy and drawing criticism over the language used while referring to the Prime Minister.
Reacting to the controversy, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the continuously declining standard of language in political discourse was unfortunate.
Speaking to IANS, Chaturvedi said: "The continuously declining standard of language used by everyone in politics is unfortunate. But at the same time, what are the pressing issues in the country today? The country's issues are inflation, corruption, vote theft, and many challenges faced by the youth that are being ignored. This is once again an issue meant to distract attention."
She expressed hope that political parties would exercise restraint while making statements and expressing their views, stressing that family members who had no role in politics should not be dragged into political disputes.
"I would repeat that dragging mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, or children, who have nothing to do with politics, into political matters is completely wrong," she said.
Meanwhile, RJD MP Manoj Jha also criticised the use of such language but questioned what he described as selective outrage over controversial remarks made by political leaders.
Speaking to IANS, Jha said: "No one can support this kind of language. I am observing the outrage, but why is this outrage so selective? When remarks such as 'Congress ki vidhwa', 'Jersey cow', references to the 'mangalsutra', 'they will take away your buffaloes', and 'they will perform mujra' are made, should there not be outrage or anger then?"
Jha said he had already submitted a written request in Parliament for a discussion on the standards of language used by both the ruling party and the Opposition.
"I am saying it again today through you: there should be a two-day discussion in Parliament on what the dignity and standards of language used by both the ruling party and the Opposition should be. It cannot be that there is outrage today and silence tomorrow. That does not seem right," he said.
Referring to what he described as a "pretence of purification" staged against Kharge himself in Uttarakhand's Haldwani, he said he had not witnessed similar outrage on that occasion.
"When a pretence of purification was staged against Kharge himself, I did not see this outrage. This is not appropriate," the RJD MP said.
