Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel today strongly condemned the controversial “illiterate in Gujarat” remarks made by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding Gujarat and its citizens, terming them an “attack on the dignity of the state.”

Addressing a press conference, CM Patel said, “The remarks made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge about the people of Gujarat are highly objectionable and unfortunate. By making such a statement, he has not only insulted 6.5 crore Gujaratis but also hurt the dignity of the sacred land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.”

He further alleged that the statement reflects Congress’s insecurity over growing public support for the development-oriented politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Calling it a continuation of Congress’s “anti-Gujarat mindset,” Patel said the party has historically neglected national icons like Sardar Patel by delaying the conferment of the Bharat Ratna.

The Chief Minister also accused the Congress of obstructing key development projects. “Congress attempted to create hurdles in the construction of the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Patel. It also delayed the Sardar Sarovar Dam project, which postponed the delivery of Narmada water to the people of Gujarat,” he said.

Congress President Kharge’s controversial remark about people of Gujarat in Keralam: “Don’t misguide the people of Keralam. They are very clever, they are educated. Modi ji, Vijay, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or in other places, but you can’t fool… pic.twitter.com/Cp2C3EyN2P

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He further alleged that industries planning to invest in Gujarat through the Vibrant Gujarat Summit were issued Income Tax notices during previous Congress regimes to discourage investment in the state.

Highlighting Gujarat’s contributions, Patel said the state has produced eminent personalities such as K. M. Munshi, Zaverchand Meghani, Narmad, Vikram Sarabhai, Tribhuvandas Patel, H. M. Patel, and former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.

He added that Gujarat contributes over 8% to India’s GDP, accounts for nearly 40% of the country’s cargo handling, and plays a leading role in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, diamonds, chemicals, and textiles.

“Gujarat is emerging as the country’s fintech capital with the development of GIFT City, while Sanand has become a major automobile hub. The Sanand-Dholera region is also set to emerge as a semiconductor hub,” Patel noted.

He claimed that Kharge’s remarks stem from Congress’s anticipated losses in upcoming elections across five states and local body polls in Gujarat.

Harsh Sanghavi Also Targets Congress

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi also criticised the Congress leadership, calling the statement “an insult to every Gujarati who has brought pride to India globally.”

“If you examine the history of Congress leaders’ statements, you will understand the bias they hold, especially against Gujarat and Gujaratis,” he said.

Sanghavi directly questioned Kharge, asking, “Did you not feel ashamed while insulting the sacred land of Gandhi and Patel? When Congress was winning in Gujarat, the people were intelligent. Now that they have rejected you, have they suddenly become foolish and illiterate?”

He demanded that Congress leaders publicly apologise to the people of Gujarat. DeshGujarat