Mallikarjun Kharge says Modi ‘like a poisonous snake’, then clarifies; BJP hits back

#KarnatakaAssemblyElections2023 | PM Modi is like a ‘poisonous snake’, you might think it’s poison or not. If you lick it, you’re dead…: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Kalaburagi pic.twitter.com/Bqi7zVFnO9

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023

He later issued a clarification, saying he meant that the BJP was like a snake. “I did not call him (Modi) that. I have said earlier that I do not make personal attacks. What I said was that the (BJP) ideology was poisonous. If you support the ideology and want to taste it, death is certain,” he said, responding to media queries.

In a series of tweets, he also said that he was talking about the BJP’s “hate politics”. “My comments were not a personal attack on Prime Minister Modi or any other individual, but on the ideology represented by them,” he said, adding that the Congress’s fight “was not personal (but) 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,” he tweeted in Hindi.

It wasn’t meant for PM Modi, what I meant was BJP’s ideology is ‘like a snake’. I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge clarifies over his earlier… https://t.co/qBO2S0TSz5 pic.twitter.com/d32oN97zCe

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023

Addressing another rally at Shirahatti later in the day, Kharge said: “I just said that there is a difference in our ideology. What I said was that… the BJP-RSS ideology is poisonous.”

Claiming that his statement was misinterpreted, Kharge said, “I am making this clear. I have never said it (with an intention) to hurt someone, or said that about someone. If there was any misconception, and if anyone is hurt by my words, then I express my sincere regret,” adding that “twisting statements” in this manner was not right.

Speaking to reporters, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, also said that it was a battle of ideologies, not individuals. “The BJP cannot digest that a person born in a Dalit family in Karnataka has risen from the post of a block president to the post of the party president. Can the BJP dare to appoint a Dalit as its president? Is this the same PM who has disrespected women on so many occasions and made fun of serious issues like suicides? Has he ever apologised to anyone,” he said.

#WATCH | “Congress made Mallikarjun Kharge the party president but nobody considers him that, so he thought of giving a statement which is worse than that given by Sonia Gandhi…”: Union minister Anurag Thakur slams Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his remark on PM Modi pic.twitter.com/UlNwtOpSdW

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023

Meanwhile, the BJP’s Karnataka unit lodged a complaint against Kharge with the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Union Minister and BJP in-charge for Karnataka polls, Dharmendra Pradhan, said the Congress has a tendency to call Modi by various names. “He might have used this abuse to please his political masters. Anyone with political experience does not use such words,” Pradhan told reporters. Modi, he said, had always shown respect towards Kharge.

While saying that there should always be arguments and counter-arguments in politics, Pradhan said: “But we expect everyone to keep this exchange within limits. Leaders of the party from which Kharge comes from sometimes call Modi ‘maut ka saudagar’, sometimes ‘Duryodhan’, sometimes ‘gutter ki keeda’, sometimes a ‘common chaiwala’. Using such words is not acceptable in a democracy,” he said.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said such statements reflected “Congress culture”. “Is it appropriate to use such words about the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that past comments about the PM had led to the decline of the Congress party.

Hitting out at Kharge, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said “hate is coming out” and sought his apology. Dismissing Kharge’s clarification, she said he was trying to “wriggle out”.

With PTI inputs