Bhubaneswar: Odisha BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Manmohan Samal Monday criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his recent remarks, saying political leaders must maintain linguistic decorum and uphold national pride while expressing their views.
Samal said that political differences were natural in a democracy, but leaders must exercise restraint and maintain dignity while making public statements.
Reacting to the recent remarks of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samal said political leaders had a responsibility to uphold the dignity of public discourse and ensure that their statements reflected a sense of responsibility towards the nation.
He described remarks that crossed the boundaries of acceptable political discourse as unfortunate and said leaders should avoid language that undermined the dignity of political debate.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, Samal said the party needed to understand its responsibilities and role as an opposition party, particularly after having governed the country for several decades.
He alleged that the Congress was struggling to come to terms with its prolonged absence from power and claimed that its frustration and disappointment were being reflected in its political rhetoric and manoeuvring.
Referring to the political journeys of senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, Pramod Mahajan and Sushma Swaraj, Samal said their public conduct offered important lessons for political leaders across the country.
He said these leaders had demonstrated that political differences could be expressed without compromising the dignity of language or the standards of public behaviour.
“While expressing one’s views in politics, it is essential to remain within the limits of language and decorum,”
Samal said, reiterating that responsible political leaders must make statements that uphold national pride and reflect a strong sense of responsibility.
Condemning Kharge’s remarks, Samal said the comments had crossed the boundaries of political decorum and deserved strong disapproval.
He also expressed confidence that the public would respond appropriately to what he described as low-level and uncivilised political behaviour.
The BJP leader’s remarks came amid a political exchange over Kharge’s recent comments, with Samal stressing the need for restraint, civility and responsibility in public life.