'Congress' DNA has become anti-national': BJP calls for Kharge's apology on alleged pro-Pak slogan incident

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia hit out at the Congress party on Wednesday over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans outside the Karnataka assembly.

Bhatia alleged that the grand old party's 'DNA' has become anti-national while calling the incident an 'insult to India's democracy'.

"After the results of the Rajya Sabha elections came out, Congress workers outside the Karnataka assembly raised 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans while celebrating Congress MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain's win. This is a very worrying incident, this is an insult to India's democracy," Bhatia said while addressing a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday.

"Today, every citizen is asking, whenever India's democracy marks a win, why is that the Congress always remembers Pakistan? There is also nothing wrong in saying that there is Pakistan's DNA in Congress," the BJP leader said.

He further called for an apology from Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge for the incident.

"Congress' DNA has become anti-national. Earlier, slogans like Bharat will break into pieces, Insha Allah, Insha Allah, were raised at a public event attended by Rahul Gandhi. Don't you think Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge should apologise?" he said.

The matter has caused a political storm in the state, leading to a FIR and protest by BJP cadre outside Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

However, Congress earlier rejected these claims, saying its workers were only raising slogans for Hussain and not what the BJP was claiming.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that voice samples have been sent to FSL and culprits will be punished.
"We have sent the voice report to the FSL, if it is true that somebody has raised the slogan 'Pakistan Zindabad', that person will be punished seriously."

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, "We are very serious about it. If it is an anti-national slogan, we will not tolerate it. We will take strict actions, once it is confirmed by the FSL team. FIR has already registered yesterday. We have to identify the person from the FSL report and if it is true, we will take action against him."

Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader said that if the claims were proven by forensic analysis, the person behind them would be punished.

The speaker said he would call for a complete probe.

As per the complaint filed by the Karnataka BJP, it was alleged that after the returning officer declared that Hussain was elected to the Rajya Sabha, at around 7 pm on Tuesday, his supporters, who had gathered at the premises of the Vidhana Soudha "at the instance of Hussain, suddenly shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans in a loud manner while cheering for Hussain."