HD Deve Gowda hits out at Kharge over 'loved us, married PM Modi's party' remark: 'Abusive relationship, had no choice but divorce'

HD Deve Gowda

Calling the 2019 alliance with the Congress an “abusive relationship”, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal Secular chief HD Deve Gowda said it was bound to end in “divorce.” He was responding to Mallikarjun Kharge’s jibe in the Rajya Sabha that JD(S) had a “love affair” with the Congress but ultimately “married” the BJP.

In a post on X, Devegowda said, “My dear and longtime friend, Mallikarjun Kharge, made a light-hearted comment in Parliament today about me having been in "love" with them (Congress) but "married" Modi Ji (BJP) eventually. He also said he did not know the reason as to why I did so. 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."

"Shri. Kharge will remember that in 2018 Congress sent Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered Shri. Kumaraswamy the chief ministership. I did not consent to this. I told in everybody's presence that Shri. Kharge should be made Chief Minister. Shri. Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Shri. Azad insisted on Shri. Kumaraswamy's leadership. But after all this song, dance and a wedding what did they do in 2019? They dumped 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, Shri. Kharge, would be in a better position as AICC President," his post read.

Speaking in the House during farewell to retiring members on Wednesday, Kharge, the leader of opposition, said he has known Devegowda for the last 54 years and has worked closely with him.

"However, I do not know what happened; he shared his love and affection with us but he tied the knot with Mr Modi (BJP). This happened quite recently, so I really do not know how you interpret it," Kharge said.

Devegowda was not in the House when Kharge said this in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.