Karnataka: Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge Calls PM Modi 'Poisonous Snake', Walks Back After BJP Criticism

After facing criticism from BJP leaders, Kharge said his remarks were not for PM Modi and he meant BJP's ideology was 'like a snake'.

In a scathing attack on Narendra Modi, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge called the Prime Minister a "poisonous snake", drawing a backlash from the BJP, ANI reported.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka's Kalaburagi, Kharge said, "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake', you might think it’s poison or not. If you lick it, you’re dead."

After facing criticism from BJP leaders, Kharge said his remarks were not for PM Modi and he meant BJP's ideology was "like a snake". "I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their (BJP) ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain," Kharge later clarified. 

Reacting to Kharge's remark, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the Congress chief's statement was worse than that given by Sonia Gandhi, referring to the UPA chairperson's infamous "maut ka saudagar" comment on Modi.

"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," ANI quoted Anurag Thakur as saying.

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While campaigning in the 2007 Gujarat assembly polls, Sonia Gandhi had described Narendra Modi as "maut ki saudagar", or merchant of death. 

BJP leader and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje demanded an apology from Kharge for his remarks on PM Modi.

"Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and president of Congress. What does he want to tell the world? PM Narendra Modi is the PM of our country and the whole world respects him and using such language for PM shows the level to which Congress has stooped. We want him (Kharge) to apologise to the country," ANI quoted Karandlaje as saying.

This is, however, not the first time that Kharge has resorted to name-calling while attacking PM Modi.

Last year, while campaigning in the Gujarat election, Kharge had called Modi a "100-head" Ravan. Addressing a rally in Ahmedabad city, Kharge said the Prime Minister asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. 

"Modi ji is prime minister. Forgetting his work, he keeps campaigning in corporation elections, MLA elections, MP elections, everywhere…All the time he's talking about himself -- 'You don’t have to see anyone else, just look at Modi and vote'. How many times do we see your face? How many forms do you have? Do you have 100 heads like Ravan?" Kharge had said.