Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress party for its recent “Gayab” jibe aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the act of defacing the PM’s image a “crime” and an insult to his personality.
Speaking to reporters, Ashoka said:
“Defacing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image by the Congress is a crime. The Congress has insulted the Prime Minister’s personality.”
Congress’s Internal Discord
Ashoka pointed to recent statements by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who said that remarks made by CM Siddaramaiah and Minister Thimmapur were not the party’s official stance. Ashoka used this to highlight what he claimed was disunity and a lack of respect within Congress itself.
“If that’s the case, what dignity do they have left? When their own party members don’t respect them, defacing the Prime Minister’s image in a derogatory manner is a crime.”
Accusations of Indirect Support for Pakistan
Ashoka also made a controversial accusation, alleging that certain opposition leaders were indirectly supporting Pakistan. He mentioned AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to contrast their “patriotic” actions with what he described as anti-national behavior by Congress leaders.
He further said:
“Even the Jammu and Kashmir CM has admitted to mistakes, but Congress leaders here question PM Modi for everything.”
Swipe at CM Siddaramaiah
In a sharp personal attack on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ashoka remarked:
“He won by a narrow margin but has become a hero in Pakistan. If he contests an election in Lahore, he could win by a margin of one lakh votes.”
He also mocked that Siddaramaiah might receive a civilian award from Pakistan, accusing him of encouraging disrespect towards police officers and showing arrogance of power.
“He is abusing everyone because he knows he will have to leave his chair.”
Background: The ‘Gayab’ Post
The Congress party’s controversial post, which labelled PM Modi as “Gayab” (missing), referred to his absence during an all-party meeting convened in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The post triggered widespread backlash from the BJP and its allies, who saw it as inappropriate during a time of national mourning.