'Focus on Manipur, not my health': Kharge responds after Amit Shah slams Congress president's 'Will live to see Modi go' remark

NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and home minister Amit Shah locked horns over Kharge’s remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah labeled Kharge’s statements as "absolutely distasteful and disgraceful," while Kharge fired back, asking Shah to focus on critical issues like the ongoing situation in Manipur and the need for a caste census.
The war of words started after Kharge’s controversial comments during a public meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, where he said, "I am 83 years old.I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power." Kharge made the remark after briefly pausing his speech due to a health issue. "I wanted to talk. But due to dizziness, I sat down. Please pardon me," he told the crowd. His comment, however, was quickly seized upon by Shah, who accused Kharge of dragging Modi into a personal health matter.

"Yesterday, the Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders, and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech," Shah wrote on X. "In a bitter display of spite, he unnecessarily dragged PM Modi into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing PM Modi from power."

Shah took the opportunity to express support for Kharge’s well-being, saying, "As for the health of Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray, and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047," the minister said.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also backed Shah in condemning Kharge for his remark and wrote on X, "Aptly said, HM AmitShah ji. The leadership of INCIndia never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards narendramodi ji. This speech of @kharge ji is one such an instance. We join in praying for the long life of Congress president @kharge ji. We wish he lives to see #ViksitBharat India 2047."
In response, Kharge doubled down, shifting the focus to pressing issues facing the country. "Home minister Amit Shah should focus on serious issues like Manipur, census, and caste census," Kharge posted in Hindi on X. He pointed to the alarming findings from a government report revealing that 92% of urban sewer and septic tank cleaners come from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities.

"The BJP is against the caste census because then it will be known by which work SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and all other categories are earning their livelihood. What is their economic and social status? What kind of targeted benefits of government schemes should they get?" Kharge argued.
The Congress leader emphasized his party's commitment to the caste census, a key demand from opposition parties ahead of upcoming elections. "We will get it done," he declared.
Kharge also shared a report from The Hindu that highlighted a first-of-its-kind attempt by the government to enumerate workers engaged in hazardous sewer cleaning in over 3,000 urban local bodies. The data showed that 91.9% of the 38,000 workers profiled belong to SC, ST, or OBC communities, underscoring the urgent need for social reforms and government intervention.
While Shah's attack on Kharge centered on what he called "a bitter display of spite," Kharge shifted the narrative to broader social and economic issues, making it clear that his party is positioning itself as the voice for marginalized communities.
The escalating clash between the two leaders comes at a time when the BJP and Congress are ramping up their rhetoric ahead of key elections, with caste-based census and social justice likely to remain central issues in the months ahead.