Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari reverted with a 'Gandhian' reply to counter Chief Minister Mohan Yadav after the latter called him a "tapori" during a public programme in Shajapur.
In a social media post on X, Patwari said the Chief Minister had repeatedly insulted him by using terms such as "worthless" and "two-bit".
Responding to his remarks, Jitu Patwari appealed to party workers to maintain peace and avoid any aggressive protests.
In a video message, Patwari said the Chief Minister's statements reflected his own way of thinking and working. "The kind of remarks he has made may be his style of politics and his way of functioning," Patwari said.
Watch the video below :
Referring to reports of protests and effigy-burning by Congress workers, he urged party members not to engage in such activities. "I have heard that effigies are being burnt. I humbly request everyone not to do such things," he said.
Patwari said the Congress follows the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi and believes in non-violence. He stressed that the party would not respond in the same manner as its political opponents.
"We will not answer them in their own way. We have to respond through our work and our conduct. We do not want to spread violence," Patwari said.
The Congress leader called on party workers to remain calm and focus on public issues rather than getting involved in confrontational politics.
He questioned whether Mohan Yadav considered all farmers' sons to be worthless and insignificant.
Drawing a comparison with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Patwari said even respected leaders had lost elections at some point in their political careers. He asked whether the Chief Minister's remarks would apply to them as well.
Patwari also reiterated his claim that a government led by farmers' sons, free from corruption and commissions, would come to power in Madhya Pradesh in 2028. "The people are watching everything, Chief Minister. Nobody's arrogance lasts forever," he wrote.
The reaction came after Mohan Yadav attacked on Patwari while addressing a gathering in Shajapur district. Responding to Patwari's recent jibe in which he had referred to the Chief Minister as "Mohan Lal Abhinandan Yadav", Yadav said, "Yes, I am Abhinandan Lal, but you are Tapori Lal."
He went on to call Patwari a "Dhaporshankh" and described him as a "worthless State President".
Watch him speak below :
He also targeted Patwari over the Congress' electoral performance, referring to the withdrawal of the party's Indore Lok Sabha candidate in 2024 and Patwari's own Assembly election defeat.
The remarks triggered strong reactions from Congress leaders. Former Chief Ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh criticised the language used by the Chief Minister, with Digvijaya Singh demanding an apology and saying the insult to the state Congress chief was an insult to the entire party.
