'Only Expected of Congress...': Amit Shah's 'Italian Culture' Dig At Kharge's 'Article 371' Remark

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge’s misspoken ‘Article 371’ mention.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appeared to have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mention of Article 370 in an election rally in Rajasthan’s Churu.

“Yesterday PM Modi addressed a rally in Rajasthan’s Churu. There are a lot of issues related to the farmers. The farmers are suffering and thousands of them have died by suicide. Instead of speaking about their issues, PM said he removed 371. What do the people here have to do with it?” Kharge said.

In an X post, Home Minister Amit Shah called out Mallikarjun Kharge, who said ‘Article 371’ instead of ‘Article 370’ saying it was “only expected of Congress to make such horrendous mistakes”. “Such blunders made by it have haunted our nation for decades now,” Shah wrote.

The Home Minister also noted how it was “shameful to hear” that the grand old party is asking what connection the people of Rajasthan have with Kashmir.

“It is shameful to hear that the Congress party is asking, “Kashmir se kya waasta hai?” I would like to remind the Congress party that J&K is an integral part of India, and every state and citizen has the right over J&K, just as the people of J&K have the right over the rest of India,” Shah wrote in an X post.

He further said the Congress doesn’t know that “many brave sons of Rajasthan have sacrificed their lives for peace and security in Kashmir”.

“But it is not merely the fault of the Congress leaders. It is mostly the Italian culture of the Congress party that is to blame for not understanding the very idea of India. Such statements hurt every patriotic citizen who cares for the unity and integrity of the nation. People will certainly answer Congress,” he added.

BJP national president JP Nadda called Kharge’s remark a “typical Congress mindset”.

“Another day, another gem from Congress! Kharge Ji displays the typical Congress mindset which wanted Jammu and Kashmir to remain disconnected from the rest of India. He doesn’t even know that that Article in question is Article 370 and not 371!” Nadda wrote in an X post.

“Jammu and Kashmir will remain an integral part of India. And, the removal of Article 370 is very much linked to national pride and the unity as well as integrity of India. Congress will never understand such emotions,” he added.

BJP leader Amit Malviya called it a “sad state of affairs” that the Congress president thinks abrogation of Article 370, is not a national issue.

“Sad state of affairs, when Congress President Kharge thinks that abrogation of Article 370, is not a national issue. Post independence, India’s unification remained an unfinished task because of Article 370, which was not just unconstitutional but even undemocratic. Congress is dangerous for the idea of Bharat,” Malviya wrote in an X post.