MP minister refuses to call Indira, Rajiv's assassinations 'sacrifices' for nation

Bhopal, Dec 20

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'dog' remark has made senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra furious and he raised a question on calling the assassinations of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi as sacrifices 'made for the nation.'

Responding to Kharge's remark, the minister said on Tuesday said if he (Kharge) considers the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as a sacrifice for the nation then he should have a look at West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura where hundreds of BJP and RSS workers have sacrificed their lives for the unity of the nation.

The BJP leader condemned Kharge's remark and said he would refused to call the assassinations of the two former PM's sacrifices.

At an Alwar rally on Monday, the Congress president said his party "gave independence for the country", and its leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives. "We gave freedom to the country and Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the unity of the country. Our party leaders gave their lives, what did you (BJP) do? Has even any dog in your house died for the country? Has (someone) made any sacrifice? No," Kharge had said.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984 at her Safdarjung Road residence in New Delhi. She was killed by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh following Operation Bluestar, a military action she ordered to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.

Rajiv Gandhi was the second prime minister to be assassinated after his mother Indira Gandhi. He was killed by the LTTE on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.