On Kanhaiya Kumar's Actor's Clothes Jibe, Madhya Pradesh Minister's Rebuttal

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Sunday took a swipe at Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, saying he was more interested in the clothes film star Deepika Padukone wore in films, even as his state sees "maximum atrocities" against women and tribals.

"Instead of zeroing on what Deepika Padukone is wearing in a film, you (Mr Mishra) should be concerned about what is happening to women, tribals, and Dalits in MP," he said to roaring applause.

Narottam Mishra had in December last year objected to actor Deepika Padukone's costume in a song of superhit film "Pathaan", and also frowned upon the colour of the attire of Ms Padukone and lead actor Shah Rukh Khan, calling for its "rectification".

When asked by reporters about Kanhaiya Kumar's presence in the state, Mr Mishra said it shows how their (the Congress's) "Bharat Jodo" is.

"Jinki nafrat hai pehchan, Congress khulwa rahi hai unse mohabbat ki dukan (Congress is getting a shop of love opened from those whose identity is hatred)," he said in a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "main nafrat ke bazaar me mohabbat ki dukaan khol kar baitha hoon (I have opened a shop of love in the market of hatred)" remark.

Three of them are together on stage -- the one who called Zakir Nayak "shanti doot" (ambassador of peace), a jibe at top Congress leader in the state Digvijay Singh, the one who called Osama Bin Laden "Laden ji" and has the blood of the victims of the Sikh genocide on his hands, and Kanhaiya Kumar, who raised the slogan "Bharat tere tukde honge inshallah, inshallah (India will be broken into pieces)," he said, adding one can imagine what kind of Congress it is.

Mr Kumar, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students' wing of the Congress, was speaking at the 'Adivasi Yuva Mahapanchayat' organised by students and unemployed youth from the tribal community.

Kanhaiya Kumar also equated Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with 'Kans Mama' -- described in Hindu religious texts as the tyrant king of Mathura who was Lord Krishna's uncle -- and reminded that Kans Mama was eliminated by Kanhaiya (another name for Lord Krishna). The Chief Minister is popularly called "mama". 

The Congress leader further mocked Narottam Mishra, saying while the name given to him by parents means "best among men," his deeds make him Nikrishtham (worst). 

Kanhaiya Kumar accused the BJP of pitting tribals against non-tribals in strife-torn Manipur. He questioned the country's first tribal President Droupadi Murmu's silence over tribal women being paraded naked in Manipur.

He also mocked union Home Minister Amit Shah for being in Indore ahead of polls in the state. "There is not just one, but two home ministers in Indore today (Amit Shah and Narottam Mishra). I challenge them to lock me up in an Indore jail if I'm wrong, but apologise for misleading the people if I'm not wrong," he said.

Mr Kumar also raised the issue of alleged irregularities in the MP Patwari Recruitment Exam, which are being probed by a retired High Court judge.

Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union, also attacked the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government's flagship 'Ladli Behna' scheme, under which women fulfilling certain criteria are given Rs 1,000 per month.

"BJP leaders are saying this amount would be increased. They should keep this amount with themselves and tells us why a gas cylinder costing Rs 350 is sold at Rs 1,400," he alleged.

Chief Minister Chouhan recently said the aid under the Ladli Behna scheme would be increased to Rs 3,000 per month soon.