'Congress Leaders Worried For Party Future': Kiren Rijiju On PM Abuse Video

The verbal abuse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother - voiced at an opposition alliance event in Bihar last week, at which posters of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi were displayed - is an 'emotional card' by a Mahagathbandhan that needs 'an extra card' to win over voters ahead of the state election later this year, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told NDTV Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Rijiju slammed the Congress and its leaders for having ill-treated the Prime Minister over the years, recalling the 'chai wala' jibe and declaring himself "worried about the future" of the party.

"You know, when everything else fails... when you think you have a problem on your hands... you create an 'emotional card' to play," he told NDTV, "But we don't need it. People trust Modiji."

Pointing to last year's Lok Sabha election and Mr Modi's third term, Mr Rijiju said, "Why would we play some extra 'card' to win the confidence of the people? And this is not the first time. If you see Congress leaders... how much they have abused Modiji and his family, and Modiji's caste, in the past."

"This is not an exception... they don't learn. The Congress will never learn," he raged.

Mr Rijiju also dropped hints about rifts in the Congress over the future of the party.

"Today even those who are closest to Rahul Gandhi... top Congress leaders... they are extremely worried about the future. (But) they will not say this in public. They are worried because they have a leader who doesn't think... who can't understand the issues."

Earlier today sources told NDTV the BJP is planning to go 'all-out' in attacking the Congress and the RJD on the insult to the Prime Minister and his mother. And Mr Modi led that charge.

READ | "My Dead Mother Was Abused": PM Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav

In a scathing attack on the Congress-RJD duo this afternoon, the PM said the abuse of his mother reflected on every mother or sister in the country. "My mother, who had nothing to do with politics, was subject to vile abuses from the RJD-Congress. This is deeply saddening."

Mr Rijiju picked up where the PM left off.

"We have seen Leaders of the Opposition, like (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, (LK) Advani, (Sushma) Sushma, and Arun Jaitley... look at their language as LoP. But his (Rahul Gandhi's) is language of low standard."

"That is why Congress leaders are scratching their head, wondering what kind of leader they have. They don't say it. But slowly and steadily right-thinking people will leave," he said.

On Thursday a video of Congress workers at a party event in Bihar's Darbhanga went viral.

READ | BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi For "Shameful Abuse" Of PM At Bihar Rally

Organised because Mr Gandhi was passing through the area - he was not scheduled to, and did not, attend - things turned ugly after supporters of a local Congress leader, Naushad Alam, began insulting chants about the Prime Minister and his family.

The video prompted furious pushback from the BJP.

"Tejashwi and Rahul used such dirty language from their stage... it is not possible to repeat the words... and now, even if Rahul Gandhi apologised by doing sit-ups holding his ear... for a thousand times, the people of Bihar will not forgive. Extremely shameful," the party said.

READ | "Stain On Democracy": Amit Shah Slams 'Abusive' Language Against PM

Home Minister Amit Shah condemned the use of abusive language and attacked the Congress for its 'hatred' of Mr Modi, saying it had left no stone unturned in spreading hatred against him.

READ | Rahul Gandhi's 'Sticks And Stones' Reply After Violence In PM Abuse Row

Rahul Gandhi responded sharply to the row. In a short post on X the Congress MP said, "Truth and non-violence will prevail... untruth and violence cannot stand before them. Beat and break (us) as much as you want... but we will continue to protect the truth and the Constitution."

With input from agencies

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