"If his allegations are proven, I will resign": Kharge slams Anurag Thakur's remarks over Waqf Bill

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit back at BJP MP Anurag Thakur, demanding an apology after the former Union Minister accused him of land-grabbing in Karnataka.
Kharge was responding to remarks made by Thakur in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
In a post on X, Kharge emphasised, "If the BJP people want to scare me into submission, let me remind them that I may break, but I will never bow down!"
"I rise in deep anguish. My life has always been an open book, full of struggles and battles, but I have always upheld the highest values in public life. After almost 60 years in politics, I don't deserve this," he said.
Kharge pointed out that while Thakur's remarks were later withdrawn in the Lok Sabha, the damage had already been done as media outlets had widely reported them.
"Yesterday, completely false and baseless charges were hurled at me in the Lok Sabha by Anurag Thakur. When he was challenged by my colleague, he was compelled to withdraw his defamatory remarks, but the damage had already been done. All media outlets carried the story, and social media spread it, damaging my image and reputation," Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The Congress leader also called for Thakur's resignation if he could not prove his allegations.
"As a Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and as the Congress President, I am forced to stand up today and condemn Anurag Thakur's wild allegations. I expect an apology from the Leader of the House, as this is the least the ruling party can and must do. If Thakur cannot prove his allegations, he has no right to be in the Parliament and should resign," Kharge said.
"And if his allegations are proven, I will resign. In my entire life, no one has ever pointed a finger at me in the Assembly!" the Congress Chief said.
Earlier on Wednesday, BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused the Congress President Kharge among others of "land grabbing" Waqf properties.
"These are the people who seize Waqf properties and make money out of them," Thakur said in the Lok Sabha. (ANI)