Amid Kharge's 'dog' remark, Madhya Pradesh minister questions Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi sacrifices

At an Alwar rally, the Congress president said his party "won independence for the country", and its leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday (December 20) refused to call the assassinations of two former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi as sacrifices made for the nation.

Mishra was reacting to Congress President's "dog" remark, wherein Mallikarjun Kharge said that while Congress leaders had sacrificed their lives for the country "did BJP leaders do the same".

"It should be condemned. If he (Kharge) considers the sacrifice of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as a sacrifice for the nation then he should have a look at West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura where hundreds of BJP and RSS workers sacrifice their lives for the unity of the nation," Narottam Mishra said.

On Monday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We gave freedom to the country and Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the unity of the country. Our party leaders gave their lives, what did you (BJP) do? Has even any dog in your house died for the country? Has (someone) made any sacrifice? No."

Parliament on Tuesday was disrupted as the BJP demanded an apology from the Congress over Kahrge's controversial comments Monday while hitting out at the BJP for mocking Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra as "Bharat todo (Divide India)".

At an Alwar rally, the Congress president said his party "won independence for the country", and its leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.

Kharge also slammed the government for not allowing a discussion in parliament on the border row with China.

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her Safdarjung Road residence in New Delhi. She was killed by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh following Operation Blue Star, a military action she ordered to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.

On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.