By The Sampadak Express
On Thursday, April 3, 2025, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, condemned BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s allegations against him in the Lok Sabha, calling them baseless and defamatory. Kharge said the remarks made by Thakur had severely damaged his reputation and challenged the BJP MP to prove the charges, or resign.
The issue was raised by Kharge during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha. He recounted the incident in the Lok Sabha, where Thakur had made unfounded allegations against him during a debate on the Waqf Bill. Kharge claimed that Thakur was forced to withdraw the defamatory remarks after being confronted by Congress members. However, Kharge emphasized that despite the withdrawal, the damage had already been done, as the allegations were widely circulated across media and social media platforms.
Kharge demanded an apology from Anurag Thakur as well as from the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, J.P. Nadda. “Yesterday, Anurag Thakur hurled completely false and baseless charges at me in the Lok Sabha. When my colleagues challenged him, he was compelled to withdraw his defamatory remarks. But the damage has been done,” Kharge stated.
The Congress leader further expressed his frustration, saying that the allegations had continued to spread even after Thakur’s withdrawal of the remarks. “I am forced to stand up today and condemn Anurag Thakur’s wild allegations. I expect an apology from the Leader of the House, which is the very least the ruling party can and must do,” Kharge said.
Kharge also laid down a challenge to Thakur, asserting that if the BJP MP could not substantiate his claims, he had no right to remain in Parliament. “If Thakur cannot prove his allegations, he should resign. If the allegations are proven, I will resign,” Kharge added.
The tension in the Rajya Sabha escalated after Kharge’s speech, prompting the Opposition members to stage a walkout in protest.
This incident has intensified the ongoing political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with both parties likely to face off on the issue in the coming days.
