New Delhi, April 4, 2025 – Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded an apology from BJP MP Anurag Thakur, calling the allegations made against him in the Lok Sabha "completely baseless" and "defamatory." Kharge also urged Leader of the House JP Nadda to address the issue, emphasizing that his decades-long political career had been built on integrity and service.
Kharge Condemns Allegations, Calls for Accountability
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Kharge strongly refuted Thakur’s remarks.
"My life has always been an open book, full of struggles and battles, but I have always upheld the highest values in public life. After almost 60 years in politics, I don't deserve this," Kharge asserted.
Lashing out at Thakur for what he termed an unfounded attack, the Congress veteran said:
"Yesterday, completely false and baseless charges were hurled at me in the Lok Sabha by Anurag Thakur."
Reaffirming his resilience in the face of political attacks, he took to X (formerly Twitter) and declared:
"If these BJP people want to intimidate me into submission, I remind them that I may break, but I will never bow down!"
The Context: Thakur’s Remarks on Waqf Bill
The controversy stems from Anurag Thakur’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, where he accused the Congress of opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill for political reasons. Thakur alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties had misused Waqf properties to consolidate their voter base, calling it their "vote bank ATM."
He argued that the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill would end Congress’s so-called "politics of appeasement" and claimed that the legislation was crucial for preventing misuse of Waqf land.
Kharge: “Damage Has Already Been Done”
Kharge pointed out that although Thakur was forced to withdraw his remarks, their impact had already spread across mainstream media and social media platforms.
"When he was challenged by my colleague, he was compelled to withdraw his defamatory remarks, but the damage had already been done," he noted.
Kharge further demanded that Thakur either prove his allegations or step down from Parliament.
"If the allegations are proved, I will resign. If not, he has no right to be in Parliament and should resign," Kharge declared.
Appeal to JP Nadda for Action
The Congress president also called upon JP Nadda, the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, to intervene and ensure accountability. He insisted that Thakur’s comments had maligned his reputation and should be addressed at the highest level.
With tensions escalating in Parliament over this issue, it remains to be seen whether Anurag Thakur will issue the apology demanded by Kharge or if the BJP leadership will intervene in the matter.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.