Did Kharge compare Modi govt to a dog with his ‘barking’ and ‘mauni’ analogy?

Mallikarjun Kharge ended up comparing the present regime at the centre to a "barking government".

New Delhi, June 4: Political civility is long dead as we hear our netas (politicians) cutting across party lines mouthing the most unpalatable words to grab headlines.

The latest to join the brigade of foul-mouthed political leaders is none other than (otherwise decent and civilised) senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. While attacking the ruling Narendra Modi government at the Centre for ignoring the repeated demands of farmers-- who are on a 10-day-long agitation in various parts of the country--Kharge ended up comparing the present regime at the centre to a "barking government".

"Compare the farm loan waiver under the National Democratic Alliance government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Progressive Alliance government led by the Congress. We never indulged in publicity. We used to work and stay quiet. Maybe that's why they used to call us mauni (mum) and goongi (dumb) government. The present government is a barking government, but doesn't do anything," Kharge was quoted as saying by ANI.

On Friday last week, farmers in several states of the country started their 10-day-long strike which saw the protesters throwing their agricultural produce including milk on roads. The main demands of the agitating farmers are complete loan waiver, minimum support price for their produce and an assurance of permanent minimum income from the government, to name a few.

However, several top BJP leaders, including Union ministers, have criticised the farmers' protest as "unnecessary" and "politically motivated". Union minister of agriculture and farmers welfare Radha Mohan Singh stoked a controversy by calling the protests of the farmers "an exercise to get media attention".

Singh was slammed by the Opposition for his "insensitive remarks". Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar dubbed the farmers' protest as "unnecessary". "They don't have any issues. They are just focusing on unnecessary things. They are not selling produce and this will bring losses to them," the CM had said.

Due to the ongoing farmers' protest, several parts of the country are witnessing steep hike in prices of farm and dairy produce. There is also a shortage of food items in several cities as the farmers have stopped their supply to the market.

The farmers' agitation in seven states--Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh--has been spearheaded by the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM)--a conglomeration of 130 farmers' organisations across the country.

Last month, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam triggered a controversy with his "loyal dog" jab at Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala. As a damage control measure, the Congress distanced itself from the comments made by Nirupam. The BJP is yet to react to Kharge's latest "barking government" statement.