'Abusive relationship': Deve Gowda responds to Kharge's ‘loved Congress, married Modi' dig

Congress president Kharge on Wednesday said in Rajya Sabha sarcastically that former PM and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda “loved Congress but married Modi”.

L: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge | R: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda with PM Narendra Modi (PTI photos)

Responding to Congress president’s “love us, married Modi” jibe, former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday said he did love the Grand Old party but had to take a “divorce” from the “abusive relationship.”

Bidding farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MP HD Deve Gowda, Kharge extended well wishes as well as a jibe over his association with the PM Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Kharge was delivering a farewell speech for the 37 retiring MPs including Deve Gowda, Ramdas Athawale, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Tiruchi Siva, Amarendra Dhari Singh, and Abhishek Manu Singhvi and others.

Recalling his association with former prime minister Deve Gowda of over 54 years, Kharge took a veiled “shaadi (marriage)” dig, indicating that the Janata Dal (Secular) leader formed relations with one alliance and went ahead with someone else – PM Modi – ultimately.

“I have known Deve Gowda for more than 54 years, and I have worked with him a lot. Later, I don’t know what happened. Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shaadi Modi sahab ke sath [he loved us but got married to Modi]’,” Kharge said, leaving the House, including PM Modi, in splits.

Listen in

#WATCH | Delhi | On Former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, HD Deve Gowda, Congress National President and LoP, Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge says, “…I know Deve Gowda ji for more than 54 years and I worked with him a lot. Later, I don’t know what happened…’ Wo mohabbat… pic.twitter.com/FTyNLCQIzB

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2026

‘Abusive relationship’: Deve Gowda’s response

Former prime minister Deve Gowda, whose party allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA ahead of key 2024 general elections, countered Kharge’s remark stating that he ‘loved’ Congress but ‘married’ BJP as he was in a ‘forced marriage’ with Congress and had to take a ‘divorce’ due to an ‘abusive relationship’.

Taking it to X, he wrote, “My dear friend Shri. @kharge made a humorous comment in parliament today on my “love” for @INCIndia and “marriage” with @BJP4India. I was not there in the House when he spoke. Here’s my response, both light-hearted and factual, on why I was forced to “divorce” the Congress @PMOIndia.”

In a letter attached to the post, Deve Gowda wrote, “If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a ‘forced marriage’ with the Congress but had to ‘divorce’ them because it was an abusive relationship.”

My dear friend Shri. @kharge made a humorous comment in parliament today on my “love” for @INCIndia and “marriage” with @BJP4India. I was not there in the House when he spoke. Here’s my response both lighthearted and factual on why I was forced to “divorce” the Congress @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/qPK95FUxip

— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) March 18, 2026

Deve Gowda recalled how he vouched for Kharge to be the chief minister; however, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted on HD Kumaraswamy’s leadership. He further stated that if the party had acted against the person who instigated defection casing several Congress leaders to join the BJP, Kharge would have been in a better position as AICC President.

HD Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda’s son, served as the 18th chief minister of Karnataka from 2018 to 2019 under the Congress-JD(S) government.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/abusive-relationship-deve-gowda-responds-to-kharges-loved-congress-married-modi-dig-101773881402213.html