Hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday, 27 April, launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made controversial statements about him, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (EC) against Kharge.
What did the Congress leader say? While addressing a campaign rally in Karnataka's Kalaburagi, Kharge made the remark in Kannada, "PM Modi is like a poisonous snake, you might think it is poison or not. If you lick it, you are dead."
This led to an outrage by several senior BJP leaders. Later, Kharge issued a clarification and said in a series of tweets, "BJP's ideology is divisive, hostile and full of hatred and prejudice towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed the politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person."
How did the BJP react? Reacting to Kharge's statement, BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said, "I never expected the Congress President to make such a statement. He should apologise for it. People will not forget this."
Union minister Smriti Irani slammed the Congress chief and said, "Statement of Mr Kharge reflects vile politics of the Congress particularly of the Gandhi family."
Kharge's clarification: He clarified in a tweet later that his statement was instead "for the ideology he represents. Our fight with PM Modi is not a personal fight. It is an ideological battle. My intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings and if knowingly or unknowingly someone's feelings were hurt, then it was never my intention."
"Nor has it been the conduct of my long political life. I have always followed the norms and traditions of political correctness towards friends and opponents and will do so till the last breath of my life. I don't make fun of individuals and their problems like people in high positions," the Congress national president added.
"I have also seen and suffered the pain and suffering of the poor and downtrodden. For five decades, I have always been opposed to the divisive ideology of the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and their leaders. My political fight was, is and always will be against his politics," he added.
That's not all: A day later, while attacking Kharge over his 'poisonous snake' remark on PM Modi, Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal during a rally in Koppal district, called United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi a "Vishkanya" (venomous woman) and a "Pakistani agent".
The Bijapur City MLA said in Kannada:
"America, once upon a time, refused to give him a visa... they later rolled out a red carpet and welcomed Modi. Now, they (the Congress) are comparing him to a cobra and saying he will spew venom. Is Sonia Gandhi a venomous woman (vishkanye)?"
Responding to the slur, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said, “A Karnataka BJP MLA has called Sonia Gandhi a 'vishkanya'. People want to know what PM Modi and Amit Shah have to say on this issue."
Karnataka Election 2023: In what is being seen as the beginning of the semi-final before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the high-voltage Assembly polls are due on 10 May. With both the national parties amidst a campaign blitz to win the southern state, controversial statements have increased considerably.
The complaint against Kharge comes a day after a police complaint was filed against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for saying, "If Congress is voted even by mistake...then entire state will suffer from riots.”
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