Correspondent
Shillong: Shillong witnessed a heated political slugfest as the BJP and Congress locked horns in a fierce war of words. The BJP Mahila Morcha and Yuva Morcha condemned what they termed derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late mother, allegedly made by Congress leaders during Rahul Gandhi's Bihar tour. Party members said the comments were not just an attack on Modi's family but an insult to all mothers and women of the country.
Tensions escalated as BJP staged protests outside the Congress Bhawan, prompting an immediate counterattack from Congress, which accused the ruling party of theatrics to divert attention from the issue of "vote chori."
Meanwhile, BJP leaders filed an FIR against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in Chhattisgarh over her alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Meghalaya unit of the party also accused Moitra of insulting the Scheduled Caste Matua community and hurting the sentiments of Sanatanis.
What began as a protest soon spiraled into a full-blown political showdown, with both national parties trading charges and shaming each other in public.
Speaking to the media in Shillong, State Yuva Morcha president M. Lyngdoh said, "Today's protest is mainly for two reasons. One, against Congress leader Muhammad Rizvi who insulted the late mother of the Prime Minister. Two, we have filed a zero FIR against Mahua Moitra for her statement against Amit Shah. We hope police take cognizance and register a case against her. No action has been taken, she is still scot-free."
Congress leader Manuel Badwar hit back, dismissing BJP's charges. "Rahul Gandhi never did and never will make derogatory remarks," he said. Calling BJP's agitation a diversionary ploy, he added, "What the BJP is trying to do is divert attention from vote theft. They feel cornered and are reacting in whatever way they can. This is a tactical move to take away the limelight."
Badwar accused BJP of playing the politics of distraction. "They like to divert attention. They play politics in the name of religion, caste, even family. The Gandhi family has borne the brunt of it for long," he remarked. He further charged the ruling party with shielding issues of unemployment and inequality behind manufactured controversies. "The BJP has done nothing except create wealth for a few people. The country is becoming poorer, and Meghalaya is taking the brunt of it," he said, asserting that Congress "will continue to stand for the poorest of the poor."
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