After Kharge's 'Married Modi' quip, Deve Gowda's 'forced marriage, abusive relationship' jab at Congress

Former Prime Minister and national president of Janata Dal (Secular) HD Deve Gowda, responded to Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge's playful jab made in the upper house. The former Prime Minister said that he had to divorce Congress as it was an 'abusive relationship'.

Deve Gowda made the remark on Kharge's playful jab in the Rajya Sabha where the Congress leader said that while the former was in love with the grand old party but went to marry Modi ji. “I have known Deve Gowda ji for more than 54 years and have worked with him extensively. Later, I don’t know what happened… ‘Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shaadi Modi sahab ke saath,” Kharge had said.

Responding to this, HD Deve Gowda said, "My dear and longtime friend, Shri. Mallikarjun Kharge, made a light-hearted comment in Parliament today about me having been in "love" with them (Congress) but "married" Modi Ji (BJP) eventually. He also said he did not know the reason why I did so."

He further added, "If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a ‘forced marriage' with the Congress but had to ‘divorce’ them because it was an abusive relationship."

The JDS leader further reminded Kharge that in 2018, Congress sent Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered Kumaraswamy (son of Deve Gowda) the chief ministership of Karnataka. "I did not consent to this. I told in everybody's presence that Kharge should be made Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Azad insisted on Kumaraswamy's leadership," said Deve Gowda.

He then added, "But after all this song, dance and a wedding, what did they do in 2019? They dumped us. How many Congress MLAs defected to the BJP and who sent them across is now common knowledge. If Congress had acted against the person who instigated defection that day, today my friend, Kharge, would be in a better position as AICC President."

Deve Gowda clarified, setting the 'record straight' that he 'did not desert the Congress alliance' and stated that it was the grand old party that broke away from the alliance. "It is they who walked away. They left me with no choice but to "divorce" them and seek a more stable alliance," he said.