New Delhi [India], October 13 : Hitting back at the Congress party over party president Mallikarjun Kharge's "terrorist party" remarks on the Bharatiya Janata Party, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticised the UPA rule over the terror incidents under UPA rule.
Accusing Congress of "being soft" on terror convict Afzal Guru and Sonia Gandhi of "shedding tears" for terrorists killed in Batla house, Joshi said that it is only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the country has seen a significant decline in terrorist activities.
Taking to social media platform X, the Union Minister said, "Mallikarjun Kharge mistakenly called BJP as Terrorist party by slip of tongue, however it was Sonia Gandhi who shed tears for terrorists who died in Batla House. It was congress which was soft on Afzal Guru. It was congress who repealed POTA in 2004. It was their PM Manmohan Singh who shook hands with Separatist Militants"
"It's only under PM Narendra Modi ji that we have seen a significant decline in terrorist activities. Today Kashmiri youth have jobs instead of stones, which was the situation during Congress rule. As a senior leader, Kharge should double check what he says," he added.
On October 12, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sharply rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that Congress is controlled by "Urban Naxals" and accused the BJP of being a "party of terrorists" responsible for lynchings and heinous crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and tribals.
"Progressive people are being called Urban Naxals...this is his (PM Modi's) habit. His party (BJP) itself is a terrorist party. They engage in lynching, assault people, urinate in the mouths of Scheduled Castes members, and rape tribal people. They also support those who commit these acts, and then they blame others," Kharge said.
"Wherever his government is in power, atrocities are committed against people from Scheduled Castes, especially tribals. Then he talks about these atrocities...It is his government, he can control it", he added.
The remark drew flak from the BJP. Party's National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday criticised Mallikarjun Kharge for his recent statements, accusing the Congress party of having a "divisive and communal mindset" similar to the "colonial British."
Kesavan said, "Kharge's remarks further expose the Congress party's prejudiced, and toxic communal mindset and ideology of divide and rule, similar to that of the colonial British. The nation should not forget when the Congress talks about terrorism, how it equated terrorism with the Hindu community."