Take Action Against BJP Leader Who Made Derogatory Remarks Against Col Sofia Qureshi, Kharge Tells Modi

Hosapete: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take action against a BJP leader who allegedly made derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi.

Speaking at a public meeting in Hosapete to mark two years of the Congress government in Karnataka, Kharge condemned the remarks made against Col. Sofia Qureshi and said such behaviour was unacceptable.

“A BJP minister claimed she had links to Pakistan. What punishment should be given to such people who speak this way about someone who has served the country?” Kharge asked.

“We have demanded the minister’s resignation, but Prime Minister Modi remains silent. If there is a ‘desh drohi’ (anti-national) within the BJP, first take action against your own people,” he said.

Kharge also questioned whether the remarks were made because of her surname. “Is she being targeted because her name is Qureshi? This is unacceptable. These are the kind of people BJP shelters. Prime Minister Modi should first remove such individuals,” he demanded.

Referring to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in which 26 tourists were killed, Kharge accused the Modi government of failing in its duty to provide security.

“Why were 26 people killed? It is because Modi govenrment did not give security there. Tourists who went there were not provided police or border force or military security. Because of this 26 were murdered there,” he alleged.

“Modi cancelled his own visit to Kashmir on May 17 based on intelligence inputs warning. If he was told not to go, why wasn’t the same alert given to the tourists? Why were they not stopped or warned? Had they been informed, 26 lives could have been saved,” he said.

Kharge accused the Centre of prioritizing the Prime Minister’s safety over that of ordinary citizens. “After the incident, the Prime Minister did not even speak about it. If you had prior information, why didn’t you act?” he asked.

"For us, the country comes first — caste, community, or party come later,” he said adding that for BJP, personal image comes first and the country later.

Strongly alleging BJP of monopolizing patriotism, Kharge reiterated the Congress party’s legacy of sacrifice.

"We have fought and bled for this country. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi laid down their lives for the nation. Mahatma Gandhi led us in the freedom movement and gave his life for the country. This is the Congress party,” he said.

He lauded the Congress-led Karnataka government for striking a rare balance between welfare guarantees and developmental governance, while sharply criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he called a legacy of unfulfilled promises and misplaced priorities.

Kharge praised the state’s implementation of all five pre-poll guarantees and the effective administration accompanying them.

“Fulfilling guarantees while ensuring proper administration and development is not easy. But the Karnataka government under Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar has done an excellent job,” Kharge said.

Kharge contrasted this performance with Prime Minister Modi’s past assurances.

“Modi promised to bring back black money and deposit Rs 15 lakh into every citizen’s account. Did he deliver? No. He said two crore jobs would be created. Where are they?” Kharge asked. He also cited the hardships caused by demonetisation as an example of poor governance.

“Mere speeches and empty rhetoric won’t lead to development. Everyone must be taken along—only then can the country truly progress,” Kharge remarked.

Though Congress assured support to the government in its fight against terror, Kharge on Tuesday defined the recent attack against Pakistan as 'Chutput war.'

"There was a Chutput war or skirmish with Pakistan. The job of Pakistan is to put blame on India. They do not have strength. They tried to attack by taking the help of China. We will not tolerate it. We are all united," he declared.