"If not today, then tomorrow, these people will go to jail": Pawan Khera defends Kharge's statement

Khera said, "If not today, then tomorrow, these people will indeed have to go behind bars. The kind of things that they have done, they think they are safe, but they are not. They will go to jail."

In a public meeting in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Kharge mentioned the importance for the alliance and the supporters to be unafraid of the BJP. He also appealed to the party supporters to fight together and not blame each other.

"They (BJP) used to say 400 paar, 400 paar, where are your 400 seats? They stopped at 240 this time. If we had 20 more seats, then all these people would have been in jail, and they deserve to be there. So I appeal to everyone to not get angry, but instead fight. Your captain is strong, and unafraid, everyone here is unafraid. The leaders are here to help solve any problem in Jammu and Kashmir. We need to win, we need to fight together, but while fighting, we should not blame each other," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders in Jammu have expressed strong objections against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remark.

In response to the same, BJP leader, Prem Shukla, while speaking to ANI, said, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lodged thousands of opposition leaders in jail without any charge during the emergency and Kharge is also planning to do the same.

"In 1975, Indira Gandhi, lodged thousands of opposition leaders, without any charge, into jail. Mallikarjun Kharge, under the directions of Rahul Gandhi, is dreaming about the emergency to be reimposed," Shukla told ANI.

Polling for Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to be held in three phases: September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 8. (ANI)