Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his remarks referring to the people of Gujarat as “illiterate”, following a political backlash.
In a post on X, he said, "Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret. It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect."
The comment was made during a speech in Kerala on Sunday, where Kharge targeted Narendra Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan.
"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," he had said.
He also alleged that Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference except the parties they lead. The BJP reacted on Tuesday, calling the remarks "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable."
Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge’s statement.