By Hanika Kashyap
Only a week after a viral video of a man making expletive comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, Uttar Pradesh Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh has taken matters into his own hands. On Wednesday, September 10, the 57-year-old sought an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sitting on a dharna at a highway in Raebareli.
It appears the said video showed a 25-year-old man from Darbhanga at a podium set up by a local Congress leader. The incident happened during Congress’s Vote Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, Bihar. While no prominent leaders were present at the event, the clip has successfully deepened tensions between Congress and BJP workers.
Pratap Singh and his supporters staged a protest to reportedly stop Gandhi’s convoy on his way. They held placards at the Kathwara highway. Slogans like “Rahul Go Back,” and “Desh Ki Maon Se Maafi Mango” (Apologize to the mothers of the country) were heard.
The UP minister also stated that Gandhi, aware of the protest, chose to take a different route to avoid it. Sharing his thoughts on the matter, he remarked, “Rahul Gandhi also has a mother.”. However, Pratap Singh stressed that the Congress MP should not allow a member from his party to abuse someone else’s mother.
He urged Gandhi to condemn such actions, affirm that he does not endorse them, and take action against those responsible. Pratap Singh also expressed that Gandhi would remove such individuals from his party and apologize for their conduct.
Pratap Singh noted that Gandhi should have spoken out against the statements made in Bihar. However, he argued, his silence has “encouraged them further,” suggesting that Gandhi supports abusive remarks made against mothers.
While the person who made the comments has been arrested, his words have caused an uproar among the two parties and their workers.
Prime Minister Modi also addressed the situation on September 2, expressing his disappointment. He noted that while he might forgive the ones responsible, the people of India will not forget.