Congress MP Randeep Surjewala Calls BJP, Its Supporters 'Rakshas'; Saffron Party Hits Back

New Delhi: Congress MP Randeep Surjewala has stirred a controversy after he called the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and its supporters 'rakshas' (demons).

"The BJP and the JJP (Jannayak Janata Party) are parties of 'rakshas'. Those who vote for and support the BJP are also 'rakshas'," Surjewala said while addressing the Congress 'Jan Akrosh rally' in Haryana's Kaithal on Sunday.

"Today, on this land of the Mahabharata, I curse them (BJP-JJP)," he added.

As a row erupted, Surjewala on Monday defended his comments and accused the BJP of clinging onto words to 'murder' the issues raised by him. He also cited several alleged failures of the ML Khattar-led Haryana government, including communal violence in Nuh. 

"Are those who have thrown the society into the fire of hate and killed the dreams of youngsters any less than demons?," he said in a long Twitter post in Hindi.

"Emotion and sentiment in dialogue are more important than words, which only a sensitive person can understand," he said.

He said the BJP wants to kill issues by grabbing words and that the ruling government constantly wants to hide its failures behind emotional issues.

भरा नही जो करुणा से,
जिसको जनजन से प्यार नही !
शासक नही वह असुर है,
जिसे किसान,-मजदूर-अबला-युवा से प्यार नही !!

संवाद में भावना और भावुकता शब्दों से कहीं ज़्यादा महत्वपूर्ण है, जिसे कोई संवेदनशील व्यक्ति ही समझ सकता है।

जैसे कौरवों ने पांडवों के साथ छल करके उनके अधिकार छीने… — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 14, 2023

"As a people's representative, it is my religion to raise public issues and to look into the eyes of those in power and ask public-related questions! I will continue to follow this religion till my last breath," he said.

Congress now abusing voters: BJP on Surjewala's 'rakshas' remark

The BJP on Monday seized on Randeep Surjewala's comments and said it has begun abusing voters after failing to launch its 'prince', an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Repeated electoral losses have pushed the Congress into irrelevance and such nonsensical comments indicated that the party had decided to remain permanently in opposition, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

"Having failed to launch the prince again and again, the Congress has now started abusing the public," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

On the one hand, there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seen as a form of 'janardan' by 140 cr countrymen, and on the other there is the Congress which considers people as demons, he said.

बार-बार शहजादे को लॉन्च करने में असफल कांग्रेस पार्टी अब जनता-जनार्दन को ही गाली देने लगी।

प्रधानमंत्री मोदी और भाजपा के विरोध में अंधेपन के शिकार हो चुके कांग्रेस पार्टी के नेता रणदीप सुरजेवाला को सुनिए कह रहे हैं - “भाजपा को वोट और सपोर्ट करने वाली देश की जनता ‘राक्षस’ है”… pic.twitter.com/GZvKVOcVa5 — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) August 14, 2023

"People of the country understand this difference very well and will work to shut down the mega shopping mall of their hatred," he added.