Gowda hits back at Kharge: Congress was a 'forced, abusive marriage'

JDS chief HD Deve Gowda retorted to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'marriage' jibe, stating his alliance with Congress was a 'forced marriage' and an 'abusive relationship' that he had to 'divorce' after Congress walked away in 2019.

Janata Dal (Secular) National President and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday took a jibe repsonding to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge's remark stating that Devegowda 'loved' Congress but 'married' Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that he was in a 'forced marriage' with Congress and had to take a 'divorce' due to an 'abusive relationship'.

Taking it to X, he wrote, "My dear friend Shri. @kharge made a humorous comment in parliament today on my "love" for @INCIndia and "marriage" with @BJP4India. I was not there in the House when he spoke. Here's my response, both light-hearted and factual, on why I was forced to "divorce" the Congress @PMOIndia."

In a letter attached to the post, Deve Gowda wrote, "If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a 'forced marriage' with the Congress but had to 'divorce' them because it was an abusive relationship."

Gowda Recalls 2018-19 Alliance Collapse

Deve Gowda recalled how he vouched for Kharge to be the Chief Minister; however, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted on HD Kumaraswamy's leadership. He further stated that if the party had acted against the person who instigated defection casing several Congress leaders to join the BJP, Kharge would have been in a better position as AICC President.

"Kharge will remember that in 2018, Congress sent Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered HD Kumaraswamy the chief ministership. I did not consent to this. I told everybody in everybody's presence that Kharge should be made Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Azad insisted on Kumaraswamy's leadership. But after all this song, dance and a wedding, what did they do in 2019? They damped us. How many Congress MLAs defected to the BJP and who sent them across is now common knowledge. If Congress had acted against the person who instigated defection that day, today my friend, Kharge, would be in a better position as AICC President," he wrote in the letter.

So to put the record straight, I did not desert the Congress alliance. It is they who walked away. They left me with no choice but to "divorce" them and seek a more stable alliance, he added.

Kharge's Original 'Love and Marriage' Jibe

Meanwhile, Kharge on Wednesday recalled his association with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of over 54 years quipped, "I have known Deve Gowda for more than 54 years, and I have worked with him a lot. Later, I don't know what happened. 'Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shaadi Modi sahab ke sath'."

This comes after biennial Rajya Sabha elections were held to fill 37 seats across 10 states. Out of the 37 seats, 26 candidates were elected unopposed. (ANI)

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