Kharge must apologize for insulting the people of Gujarat, says CM

Gandhinagar: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks on Gujarat drew sharp condemnation from state BJP leaders, including chief minister Bhupendra Patel, who demanded an apology from the Congress. Deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi alleged that "anti-Gujarat poison flows in the opposition party's DNA". Kharge, while campaigning in Keralam on Sunday, had said that the people of this southern state cannot be misled, unlike those in Gujarat and other states.

Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, chief minister Patel said, "The remarks are extremely objectionable and unfortunate. He (Kharge) has not only insulted 6.5 crore Gujaratis but also hurt the dignity of the holy land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel." The chief minister said the remarks reflect a sense of insecurity in Congress due to growing public support for the BJP under PM Modi. Deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi said, "There can be ideological differences in politics, but insulting all citizens of a state is not only indecent, but it also exposes the completely sick mentality of the Congress." tnn