Amit Shah takes 'Italian culture' dig at Congress after Kharge attacks PM Modi

The BJP hit out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday over his swipe at the ruling party for raising the issue of removal of Article 370 of the Constitution - which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir - in Rajasthan, with Home Minister Amit Shah saying the opposition party's "Italian culture" is to be blamed for it not understanding the very idea of India.

Mr Shah and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including its president JP Nadda, shared a short clip of Kharge's speech on X, in which he is heard targeting the ruling party for talking about the removal of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in Rajasthan.

"Arre bhai, yahan ke logon se kya wasta hai (what has it got to do with the people here)?" Mr Kharge is heard asking in the clip. The Congress chief also incorrectly referred to Article 371 instead of Article 370, which had granted special rights to Jammu and Kashmir and was annulled by the BJP-led Centre in August 2019.