Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday condemned Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks in the UK, saying the Congress leader owed an apology to Parliament and the entire country.

In a statement, the former Union minister also hit out at the Congress and its leaders, accusing them of running a "deliberate drive" to denigrate the country's Parliament, Constitutional institutions and democratic values.

The Congress is suffering from "feudal frenzy" in its efforts to become "chieftain" of the Opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Naqvi charged, demanding that they come out of their "feudal arrogance" in view of the "changed atmosphere and mood of the country." During his interactions in the UK recently, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

Gandhi's remarks has triggered a massive political row, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions and the Congress hitting back, citing instances of Prime Minister Modi raising internal politics abroad.

"Former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today strongly condemned Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Indian Parliament and democracy in a foreign country and said that the Congress leader owed an apology to Parliament and the entire country," the statement released by the senior BJP leader’s office said.

"While talking to reporters in UP's Rampur today, Naqvi said the Congress and its leaders should come out of the feudal arrogance and must understand the changed atmosphere and mood of the country," the statement said.

They should express regret for "their deliberate drive" to denigrate the Indian Parliament, Constitutional institutions and democratic values, he added.

"Naqvi said the Congress is suffering from feudal frenzy in its efforts to become chieftain of the Opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” the statement said.

However, the Congress' "craze for conspiracy" against the Indian Parliament and the Constitutional values is totally unacceptable in a democracy, the statement quoting the senior BJP leader said.

"Naqvi said even the Congress leaders have realised that its idiocy has turned the grand old party into a non performing asset, which has neither any value outside nor inside, and that is why the queue at the exit gate is larger than the entry gate of the Congress," the statement said.

"Naqvi also said the democratically defeated dynasty, who considered them as the proprietor of politics, are unable to digest India's rising global stature under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the statement said.

The Congress will not succeed in its conspiracy to "hijack" the country's Parliament and Constitutional and democratic values through their "arrogance and anarchy", the statement quoting Naqvi said.

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