After a video of a Congress-RJD rally in Darbhanga, Bihar, in which a person shouted vulgar against Prime Minister Modi and his mother from the stage, the rally’s organiser and Congress leader, Mohammad Naushad, tendered a public apology.
In a video message, Mohammad Naushad admitted that an individual participating in the rally shouted expletives in the microphone from the stage against PM Modi and his late mother. Condemning the incident, Naushad offered an apology. “I condemn the incident and offer an apology for the incident,” said Naushad.
Naushad said that the person who shouted the abuses was slapped by people present on the stage, and the microphone was immediately snatched from him. He said that the person was mentally unstable.
Speaking to India Today, Naushad said that he was not present on the stage at the time of the incident, and had left about 15-20 minutes before with Rahul Gandhi to attend a rally in Muzaffarpur. “I have contested elections twice from Delhi. For 20 years, I have been a party worker. We cannot do such a thing. Still, I apologise. Since we organised the program, I apologise,” Naushad said.
An undated video of the incident, showing a person using slurs like ‘Maderch*d’ against PM Modi, viral on social media, attracting widespread outrage. Although no prominent leader was apparently present on the stage, the workers were heard raising slogans in support of Naushad, who is aspiring for a ticket in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Soon after the video went viral, the Congress Party dissociated itself from the incident. Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi condemned the incident and said that his party did not approve of such language.
The BJP has demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav as the incident happened during their parties’ rally. No statement has been made by Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi Yadav regarding the incident.