After threatening to chase the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) "out of power" if it doesn't support the interests of his state, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday, 12 February, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over his "deplorable" remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reported NDTV.
Addressing a rally in the Nalgonda district of the state, Rao asked the prime minister and BJP national president JP Nadda if questioning the identity of an MP's father was a part of political etiquette and Hindu rituals.
"PM Modi ji, is this the 'sanskaar' (etiquettes) or our Hindu ritual to question an MP about the identity of his father? This was done by your BJP Chief Minister. My head hangs in shame and my eyes are in tears after I heard this. This is not a good thing for the country."
Stating that there's a threshold to one's patience, Rao asked, "How can the Chief Minister of Assam talk like this?"
According to ANI, Sarma on Saturday, responding to the Telangana CM, said, "He (Telangana CM KCR) got agitated by my comment on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but not by Gandhi's comment on our Army. This mindset that you can't criticize the Gandhi family need to be changed."
Sarma's Controversial Remark
On 11 February, CM Sarma was addressing a BJP rally in Uttarakhand when he mounted an attack on Rahul Gandhi for questioning India's surgical strikes against Pakistan in 2016 and the airstrikes that took place in 2019.
Lashing out at Gandhi for demanding proof of the two strikes, CM Sarma asked if the BJP had demanded proof of who his father was.
"Look at the mentality of these people. General Bipin Rawat was the pride of the country. India conducted the surgical strike in Pakistan under his leadership. Rahul Gandhi demanded proof of the strike. Did we ever ask you for proof of whether you are Rajiv Gandhi's son or not? What right do you have to demand proof from my Army?"
CM Sarma maintained that if the Indian Army and the late CDS Bipin Rawat had said that the strikes took place, then "that means it's done."
BJP Leaders Should Use 'Datun': Chaudhary
CM Sarma's remarks and counter-remarks were condemned by the Opposition, including Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who said that a certain CM should have learnt to move on from a bitter fallout.
Criticising CM Sarma, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary said that "the BJP leaders should often brush their mouths with datun (neem sticks)."
(With inputs from NDTV and ANI.)
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