‘Stay Quiet, Otherwise I Will Speak for an Hour’: Kharge
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told the crowd at a rally organised by the opposition alliance INDIA in New Delhi to remain silent, warning that he would otherwise deliver a one-hour speech. Although he promised to finish his speech within five minutes, the 84-year-old politician eventually spoke for nearly nine minutes.
Mr Kharge took the stage to address the rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday (November 1) and remained silent for around 30 seconds. During that time, slogans, shouting and loud musical instruments could be heard across the venue. Expressing his annoyance, he told the crowd, “If you sit quietly, I will finish my speech within five minutes. Otherwise, I will speak for an hour.”
The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, was the main target of slogans at the rally. However, Kharge’s speech also drew attention, as a remark he made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi around a week earlier had sparked political controversy.
At Sunday’s rally, some attendees were also heard chanting, “Even Modi’s father will be gone.” Mr Kharge had made a similar remark earlier while addressing a gathering in Patna, Bihar. Following the remark, the BJP demanded an apology from him and announced a counter-campaign.
