New Delhi:
Home Minister Amit Shah today issued a strongly worded statement, saying Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had “breached every standard of public conduct and brought shame to the nation” after the latter referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” at a press conference in Chennai.
“Every day, the Congress is hitting new lows in its demeanour, breaking its own record in lowering the standard of public discourse,” Shah said. “This insult to the foremost leader of the nation is an insult to the millions of people who love and support Modi Ji. Calling a leader like Modi Ji a terrorist, who has completely curbed terrorism in the last 12 years, is highly condemnable. Every time the Congress hurls abuses at Modi Ji, it is the people of India who answer them. This time too, the people will respond.”
Kharge made the remark while questioning the AIADMK’s decision to ally with the BJP ahead of the Tamil Nadu polls.
Invoking the legacies of Dravidian and Dalit political icons, he said: “How these AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai, how can they join Modi? He is a terrorist. His party won’t believe in equality and justice. These people are joining with them; it means they are weakening democracy, they are weakening the philosophy of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar, Kaliagnar, Baba Saheb Ambedkar.”
When pressed to clarify, Kharge walked back the literal reading of his words.
“He is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist,” he said. “What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands. Therefore I said, in that context, he is terrorising people and political parties.”
Union Minister Piyush Goyal called on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to apologise. “I feel ashamed that the Congress and the DMK have stooped so low that they are insulting the Prime Minister who is democratically elected by the people of India, by calling him a terrorist,” Goyal posted on X. “The Congress and DMK have humiliated 140 crore Indians, including our 8 crore Tamil brothers and sisters, with this statement.”
The BJP took the matter to the Election Commission, submitting a formal memorandum describing Kharge’s remark as “grossly derogatory” and alleging a “prima facie” violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
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