Responding to Congress president's “love us, married Modi” jibe, former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday said he did love the Grand Old party but had to take a “divorce” from the "abusive relationship." L: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge | R: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda with PM Narendra Modi (PTI photos) Bidding farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MP HD Deve Gowda, Kharge extended well wishes as well as a jibe over his association with the PM Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Kharge was delivering a farewell speech for the 37 retiring MPs including Deve Gowda, Ramdas Athawale, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Tiruchi Siva, Amarendra Dhari Singh, and Abhishek Manu Singhvi and others. Recalling his association with former prime minister Deve Gowda of over 54 years, Kharge took a veiled “shaadi (marriage)” dig, indicating that the Janata Dal (Secular) leader formed relations with one alliance and went ahead with someone else - PM Modi - ultimately. "I have known Deve Gowda for more than 54 years, and I have worked with him a lot. Later, I don't know what happened. Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shaadi Modi sahab ke sath [he loved us but got married to Modi]'," Kharge said, leaving the House, including PM Modi, in splits. Listen in
'Abusive relationship': Deve Gowda's response Former prime minister Deve Gowda, whose party allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA ahead of key 2024 general elections, countered Kharge's remark stating that he 'loved' Congress but 'married' BJP as he was in a 'forced marriage' with Congress and had to take a 'divorce' due to an 'abusive relationship'. Taking it to X, he wrote, "My dear friend Shri. @kharge made a humorous comment in parliament today on my "love" for @INCIndia and "marriage" with @BJP4India. I was not there in the House when he spoke. Here's my response, both light-hearted and factual, on why I was forced to "divorce" the Congress @PMOIndia." In a letter attached to the post, Deve Gowda wrote, "If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a 'forced marriage' with the Congress but had to 'divorce' them because it was an abusive relationship."