'You cheap liar': Congress fiercely rebukes BJP's allegations of 'disrespect' towards Kharge and Dalits

The Congress came down hard on the BJP after several leaders from the latter party accused the Congress of "disrespecting" Mallikarjun Kharge, following the circulation of a video that showed him waiting outside a room where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was filing her nomination in Wayanad.

In the viral video, Kharge, the Congress President and a veteran Dalit leader, is seen standing at the door, looking inside as Priyanka completes her nomination process. BJP leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and IT cell head Amit Malviya, seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress, alleging that the incident exposed the party’s internal hierarchy and disregard for Dalit leaders.

Sarma took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his outrage, stating, “It’s disheartening to see a leader like Kharge Ji, a veteran and a Dalit icon, treated with such disrespect by the so-called high command in Wayanad. Is the Congress family proud of humiliating those who are mere rubber stamps for them?”

Echoing a similar sentiment, Chandrasekhar questioned Kharge’s absence during the nomination filing, implying that he was deliberately sidelined. “Where were you, Kharge Saheb, when Priyanka Vadra was filing her nomination? Kept outside because he isn’t family. His self-respect sacrificed at the altar of the Gandhis’ entitlement,” Chandrasekhar tweeted, suggesting that this mistreatment of Kharge symbolized how Congress treats its Dalit leaders and, by extension, the people of Wayanad.

Amit Malviya, who also shared the video clip, asked provocatively, “Was Kharge kept out because he’s a Dalit?” The official BJP handle amplified the narrative, asserting that if the Gandhi family could treat Kharge in such a manner, it was a reflection of their disdain for the Dalit community.

Congress did not take the accusations lightly. Responding swiftly, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted photos showing Kharge seated with senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, dismissing the BJP’s claims. “You cheap liar,” Shrinate wrote in response to Malviya. “Kharge Ji, Sonia Ji, and Rahul Ji were simply waiting for others to leave the room before they entered. Now look at these pictures and be quiet.”

Shrinate’s rebuttals were equally sharp when addressing Sarma, whom she called a “liar in chief,” and Chandrasekhar, whom she accused of spreading falsehoods. She ridiculed both leaders for their comments, stating that they were engaging in “buffoonery” and trolling.

In a final jab at Chandrasekhar, Shrinate took aim at his continued use of a verified badge on X despite no longer being a Member of Parliament. “Why does he still have the grey badge? Thanks to his old connections at X?” she mocked.