First focus on Manipur retort... Kharge hits back at Amit Shah

NEW DELHI, Sep 30
Mallikarjun Kharge and Amit Shah locked horns over the Congress leader's remarks on PM Narendra Modi at a public rally in Jammu.
A war a words erupted between Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the former's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A day after Shah slammed Kharge for “dragging PM Modi” into his personal health issues, the Congress chief asked the Home Minister to focus on issues like Manipur and caste-based census.
Addressing a public meeting in Jammu on Sunday, Mallikarjun Kharge said that he won't die before PM Modi is removed from power. Shah described these remarks by Kharge as "absolutely distasteful and disgraceful".
Hitting back at the Home Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X, "Home Minister Amit Shah should focus on serious issues like Manipur, census and caste census." He added, “Your Government's own survey says that 92% of the employees cleaning urban sewers and septic tanks come from SC, ST, OBC categories.”
Asserting that Congress is committed to a caste census, Kharge said, “The BJP is against 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?”
“We will get it done,” he said
Kharge, while addressing a rally in Jammu on Sunday, had fallen ill after he suffered a "syncopal attack". He took a brief break and resumed speaking, saying that despite his age, he won't die before PM Modi is removed from power.
“I wanted to talk but due to dizziness, I sat down. Please pardon me. I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power,” the Congress president said.
Hitting out at Kharge, Amit Shah posted on X, “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. 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.”
"As for the health of Mr 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 Union Minister said.

(With inputs from PTI) Hindustan Times