Kharge was reacting to Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s demand for an apology from the Congress for a controversial statement by party MP DK Suresh, who allegedly suggested a call for a separate south nation over fiscal injustice.
Kharge said, “If he has said anything, the matter should be looked into by the privileges committee (of Lok Sabha).”
“We will not tolerate any statement that calls for breaking the country. That statement may be from any party… be it from my party or their (BJP) party, or somebody else. Someone says or not, I Mallikarjun Kharge, will state that India is one from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and will remain one. It is for this cause that Indira Gandhi gave the supreme sacrifice of her life and Rajiv Gandhi gave his life. Can such a party talk of breaking the country? We will not tolerate such a thing.”
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It is not correct to repeat in the House what Suresh has not said, he added.
Earlier, Kharge said Suresh is not a member of the Rajya Sabha and, therefore, his conduct cannot be debated in the House. To this, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, however, said his earlier rulings had made it clear that the statement by a Lok Sabha MP can be discussed in the Upper House.
What did Goyal allege?
Goyal raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha and said the statement by DK Suresh, who is the brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, reflects the ‘divisive’ thinking of the Congress party.
Without naming Suresh, Goyal said the statement cannot be ignored as it is an attack on the Constitution of India and an insult to the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
“The Congress president should clarify if the party is associated with the statement. (He should also state if) the country’s sovereignty and integrity and its Constitution hold any place in the mindset of the Congress. (And that) does the party want to divide the country into north and south?” he said.
“The country will not tolerate this divisive approach of the Congress. I condemn the Congress party and its leaders and demand that they apologise for the statement.”
Goyal said Suresh made the statements on a day when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was presenting the interim Budget.
What Suresh said
While commenting on the Union Interim Budget 2024-25 presented in Parliament on Thursday, DK Suresh had allegedly said that “injustice was being served to South India”.
“Funds that were supposed to reach the South are getting diverted and distributed to North India,” he claimed.
Later, Suresh posted a thread on X (formerly Twitter) clarifying his remarks.
“A proud Indian and a proud Kannadiga! South India and especially Karnataka have faced the brutality of injustice in funds distribution. Even after being the 2nd largest GST-contributing state, the Centre has been utterly unjust to Karnataka and Southern states while states like Gujarat have seen a 51 per cent hike. If this is not injustice, then what is?” he asked.
“We are sons of this soil and need funds for our developmental activities. Even after repeated requests for funds for developmental activities and drought relief, the Centre has continued to turn a deaf ear to us,” he added.
DK Suresh mentioned that he stands by the unity and integrity of India as a “proud Indian and Congressman”.
“I shall also continue to raise my voice against injustice towards Karnataka, no matter what. Jai Hind! Jai Karnataka,” he said.
With agency inputs.
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Published: 02 Feb 2024, 07:18 PM IST
