Not even a dog died from homes of RSS leaders during freedom struggle: Mallikarjun Kharge
Mumbai: Despite Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s message to ‘fight with love’, his aide on Thursday threw a “dog” barb at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Speaking at a rally in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that “not even a dog” from the homes of the RSS and BJP leaders had died during India’s freedom struggle.
The All India Congress Committee general secretary was speaking at a rally to launch the second phase of the party’s Jan Sangharsh Yatra in Faizpur.
“We (Congress) gave our life for the country and made sacrifices. Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life for the unity of the country. Rajiv Gandhi gave his life for the nation. Tell me, did even a dog die in a house of BJP, RSS (leaders) for the country’s freedom?” asked Kharge. “Tell us, which of your people went to jail (for India’s independence),” Kharge added.
Kharge’s remarks came more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi rebuffed the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha for a similar remark. In February 2017, Kharge had said in Lok Sabha: “People such as Gandhi ji, Indira ji sacrificed their lives for the country’s unity, who was there from your side? Not even a dog.”
The PM had later said: “The Congress has never spoken of the contribution of freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad. They think only one family has given us freedom”. As part of the Jan Sangharsh Yatra, Congress leaders are taking a tour of Maharashtra, covering around 150 Assembly seats over three months.
The first phase of the yatra concluded on September 8 and the second phase will end till October 9.