Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (Pic credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday apologised for his recent remarks targeting people of Gujarat, saying his comments were ‘deliberately misinterpreted’ and that he never intended to hurt sentiments.In a post on X, the Congress president said, “Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Keralam are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret. It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect.”The apology comes amid a political row triggered by his remarks during an election rally in Kerala’s Idukki district.Addressing a rally ahead of the assembly elections, Kharge had said that people in Kerala were ‘educated and clever’ and could not be misled, unlike those who were ‘illiterate’ in Gujarat and some other places.The statement sparked sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which termed the remarks insulting and unacceptable.Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised Kharge’s statement, calling it “shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable.” He also asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with the remarks.Prasad questioned whether Kharge deserved to remain Congress president, saying the post had historically been held by leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and demanded that the Congress leadership distance itself from the comment.He further highlighted Gujarat’s literacy rate and contribution to the country, arguing that such remarks insult the people of the state. The BJP also demanded an apology to the people of Gujarat, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.Reacting to the controversy, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that political discourse should not deteriorate and emphasised the need to maintain standards in public debate. He highlighted that political leaders should focus on constructive arguments rather than using language that lowers the quality of discourse.Meanwhile, Gujarat deputy chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi strongly criticised Kharge’s remarks, calling them an insult to the people of the state and its legacy. He said Gujarat, which has produced leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, would not accept such comments.