'Abusive Relationship, Had To Divorce Congress': Gowda Replies To Kharge's 'Married To Modi' Joke

New Delhi: HD Deve Gowda, Janata Dal (Secular) President and former Prime Minister of India, has reacted to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's hilarious “married to Narendra Modi” remark in the Rajya Sabha. Playing along with Kharge's marriage metaphor, Gowda said he was in a “forced marriage” with Congress.

What Did Kharge Say?

While bidding farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MP HD Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “I have known him for 54 years and have worked with him. But later I don't know what happened…Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shaadi Modi sahab ke saath (He loved us but got married to PM Modi)."

In 2018, Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) had tied up with Congress for the Karnataka elections. After winning the polls, Gowda's son HD Kumaraswamy was made the Chief Minister. However, later some JDS MLAs rebelled, toppling the Congress-JDS state government in 2019. Thereafter, JDS joined hands with BJP.

‘Divorced Congress': Gowda's Reply

In his reply to Kharge's “light-hearted” comment, HD Deve Gowda stated that he was in an “abusive relationship" with Congress and, therefore, he had no choice but to "divorce" them and seek a more stable alliance.

He 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 as to why I did so. I was not in the House when Shri. Kharge spoke as I had to leave for Bengaluru to be present for tomorrow's Ugadi celebrations."

He 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."

Gowda also explained the 2019 fall of Congress-JDS government. He said, “Shri. Kharge will remember that in 2018 Congress sent Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered Shri. Kumaraswamy the chief ministership. I did not consent to this. I told in everybody's presence that Shri. Kharge should be made Chief Minister.

Shri. Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Shri. Azad insisted on Shri. Kumaraswamy's leadership. 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, Shri. Kharge, would be in a better position as AICC President.

So to put the record straight, I did not desert the Congress alliance. It is they who walked away. They left me with no choice but to "divorce" them and seek a more stable alliance."

Also Read- "Marriage with Modi": Kharge’s Hilarious Take on Former PM Deve Gowda