New Delhi, May 11 : The Congress Party has issued a clarification stating that Sonia Gandhi did not use the word “sovereignty” in her speech during election campaigning in Karnataka. The Election Commission had sought clarification on the alleged remarks made by the former Congress president, which had sparked a political controversy.
On Wednesday, the official Twitter handle of the Congress Party stated, “The word ‘sovereignty’ was never used by Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji in her speech dated May 6, 2023, at Hubballi, Karnataka.”
The party also shared the speech by Sonia Gandhi, delivered on May 6 in Hubballi, during her political campaign for the party.
Previously, the Congress Twitter handle had posted a tweet referring to Gandhi’s address at a campaign rally in Hubballi, which stated, “The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty, or integrity.” It further mentioned that the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson “sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas.”
The Congress party has now deleted the tweet, stating, “Since this has been erroneously reported – it is being deleted.”
The alleged statement triggered a political storm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders criticizing the Congress Party.
The BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission regarding the alleged statement, prompting the poll panel to issue a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting clarification and rectification measures regarding the social media post attributed to the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
Following the viral spread of Sonia’s comments, Prime Minister Modi accused the Gandhi family of advocating the “secession” of Karnataka from India and criticized the Congress party for insulting Kannada freedom fighters.
He further accused the Congress party of dividing states, inciting communal violence, and supporting terrorists.
The Congress party’s erroneous tweet and the subsequent clarification have now shed light on the matter.
