BJP accuses Congress of insulting Mallikarjun Kharge, cites past instances to level ‘anti-Dalit’ charge

On Wednesday, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi filed nomination papers from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. While the party would have hoped that her electoral debut would garner good press, it has sparked a fresh controversy. 

Incidentally, a video is circulating on social media showing Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge looking through an ajar door into the room where Priyanka Gandhi was submitting her nomination papers. The video of a visibly ‘left-out’ and out-of-place Kharge prompted an all-out attack from the Bhartiya Janata Party. Several BJP leaders including Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma shared the video alleging that Congress insulted its ‘Dalit President’. It also cited past instances to level the ‘anti-Dalit’ charge at the Congress party. 

Slamming Congress, the BJP stated that Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, was made to wait outside the room and insulted him as he is not a member of the first family – the Gandhi family. It added that Congress is notorious for insulting Dalit leaders who rose to prominent positions within the party to show them their place.

Several BJP leaders cited the infamous example of Sita Ram Kesari and Haryana Congress leader Kumari Selja adding that the Congress party has a habit of insulting and demeaning Dalit leaders.

Assam CM Sarma wrote, “It’s deeply disheartening to witness the disrespect shown towards a veteran Parliamentarian and Dalit leader like Shri @kharge Ji by the so-called Holy Trinity in Wayanad today. Whether it’s the President of AICC or PCC, does the Family take pride in humiliating those they treat as mere rubber stamps?”

However, Congress claimed that the video was peddled out of context and the BJP was spreading falsehoods. Responding to BJP’s charges, AICC Secretary Pranav Jha argued that Kharge stood outside the door only to abide by the DM’s instructions. Explaining further, he added that only 5 people could stay inside the chamber, and by abiding by his directions, the Congress President “helped the DM”. 

According to the journalists and people aware of the developments, Mallikarjun Kharge was not part of the initial delegation that went inside with Priyanka Gandhi when she submitted her nomination papers. When the controversy escalated, the Congress party defended itself saying that the Congress President was present alongside Priyanka when she submitted her second set of papers. It claimed that because Priyanka was running late, she left a party rally midway to file her nomination papers, and Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge joined her later.  

Nonetheless, in the past as well, the Congress party has been at the receiving end for meting out humiliation at another Dalit party president, Sita Ram Kesari. During one of his Parliamentary addresses, PM Modi slammed Congress for ‘humiliating’ former Congress President Sitaram Kesari reminding the country that he was thrown to a footpath by the Sonia Gandhi camp.

Kesari was sidelined when Sonia Gandhi became ‘politically’ active

Before delving into the story of Sitaram Kesari, let us recall the political developments of that time. The Congress party was led by PV Narasimha Rao and in the 1996 general elections it suffered a terrible defeat. Later, the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government fell. Meanwhile, ignoring Rao, Sonia Gandhi was brought into politics. The United Front government had been formed with the support of Congress and HD Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister. It is said that Narasimha Rao was removed from the post of Congress President on Sonia’s instructions.

In September 1996, the elderly Sitaram Kesari was crowned as the AICC (All India Congress Committee) President. He had also been the treasurer of the Congress for a long time.

The resignation was taken forcibly, humiliated at Congress headquarters

Due to Kesari’s activism, Madhav Rao Scindia’s Madhya Pradesh Vikas Congress and Narayan Dutt Tiwari’s Tiwari Congress merged back into the Congress.

As Kesari’s influence grew, people began conspiring against him. He questioned why there were talks of removing him from the position of Congress President when he had been faithfully following all directives from 10 Janpath. Notwithstanding his assertions, his resignation was forcibly taken. However, the way he was humiliated at the Congress office before his resignation remains a dark chapter in Congress’ history. 

He ran away crying, his dhoti was pulled when he was leaving the office

Not cut to date – 5th March 1998. All preparations were made to remove Sitaram Kesari. A meeting of the Congress Working Committee was called at 24 Akbar Road. During this time, orders were issued for Sitaram Kesari to step down.

It is said that during that time Kesari was humiliated and he had to run away, crying. After this, he locked himself in the bathroom. Youth Congress goons were called to take him out of the bathroom. In the midst of all this, Kesari was forced to resign. Even after treating him so badly, the workers associated with the other camp were not done. His dhoti was pulled when he was leaving the office. He was humiliated and thrown out of the office. Sitaram Kesari himself admitted all this in an interview he gave to a media house.

The episode finds a mention in Pranab Mukherjee’s book

The incident is mentioned in the book, ‘The Coalition Years 1996-2012’ by late former President Pranab Mukherjee. In his book, Pranab Mukherjee writes, ‘On March 5, 1998, Sitaram Kesari called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee. In this meeting, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sharad Pawar, and Jitendra Prasad offered to make Sonia Gandhi the president. But Kesari rejected this proposal. Accusing many leaders including Pranab Mukherjee of conspiracy, he walked out of the meeting. In 2019, Kesari was insulted even posthumously. His name as Congress President was also erased from the plaque at the All India Congress Committee office at 24, Akbar Road.’

Aghast by the incident, Kesari decided to quit politics

Journalist Rashid Kidwai has written in his book, A Short Story of the People Behind the Fall and Rise of Congress, ‘Sitaram Kesri was humiliated and thrown out of the Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road, Delhi. In this task, Sonia Gandhi got the full support of Pranab Mukherjee, Sharad Pawar, Jitendra Prasad, and AK Antony. Sitaram Kesri was an old politician of the Congress. Despite being an MP for 35 years (once in Lok Sabha, five times in Rajya Sabha) and a minister three times, he did not have his own private house in Delhi. Hurt by this humiliation, Sitaram Kesri announced his retirement from politics. He spent the last days of his life in his hometown Danapur in Bihar.